The truth is, there’s nothing in this world I would rather do. There’s no doubt in my mind that I’m doing exactly what I was created to do. What an incredible feeling!
Now, I love lots of things about being a pastor, but one of the simplest things doesn’t look like this…
Instead, it looks a bit more like this…
And this…
And this…
This series, The Role of the Pastor, comes from a study that we’ve been doing on Wednesday nights at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA.
This post will conclude the series on The Role of the Pastor. We’ve covered three of the four major functions of the pastor: love, lead and protect. And here, we’ll talk about how the pastor is to feed the people.
Paul says to Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:1-5, “I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
The pastor/shepherd has the responsibility of feeding the flock. This refers to the pastor’s responsibility of preaching. The church is fed through preaching, from the Word, by the Holy Spirit. The role of the pastor in feeding the people with the word is of primary importance. The importance of the preaching ministry of a pastor cannot be over-emphasized. It is vitally important to the believer and to the body of Christ; to the Christian and to the church.
1. The solemn charge: 1
Let’s take this verse one chunk at a time. “I charge you…” The word “charge” here gives the idea of a testimony in a courtroom. It literally means “to invoke someone as a witness about something.” This parallels the last phrase of this verse, “Before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom…” Paul is essentially saying, “I’ve taken the stand as a witness before the righteous judge and I’m testifying to the truth. Because God will judge me and He will judge you one day as well.” This is a solemn charge.
There’s another word that’s easy to miss but very important; the word “therefore.” This refers to something that has just been stated. What was that? 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Here’s what it says, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work”
This is a solemn charge because you are dealing with sacred truth. True preaching is based upon the truth of God’s Word. If it’s not based upon the Word, it’s not preaching.
2. The sacred calling: 2
There’s an all-important phrase in verse 2 that every pastor must consider; “preach the Word!” The construction of this phrase indicates that this is a command to be obeyed immediately. It is a sharp command that takes on almost a military tone. The word “preach” means to announce in a formal or official manner. A herald would communicate a message from the king to the people. This is indeed what preaching is. It is a message from the King of Kings to His subjects, His people. This preaching should be accompanied by that note of authority which will command the respect, careful attention, and proper reaction of the listeners.
Kenneth Wuest says, “The “Word” here refers to the whole body of revealed truth. The preacher must present, not book reviews, not politics, not economics, not current topics of the day, not a philosophy of life denying the Bible and based upon unproven theories of science, but the Word. The preacher as a herald cannot choose his message. He is given a message to proclaim by his Sovereign. If he will not proclaim that, let him step down from his exalted position.
This is why I call the task of preaching a “sacred calling.” Because it is handling the great truths of the great King! Therefore we must be “ready in season and out of season.” In other words, be ready at all times; good times and bad times, easy times and hard times; times of sowing and times of reaping.
Then, Paul lists some things that must be done while preaching, “Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all long-suffering and teaching.” If all of your preacher’s sermons are “exhorting” but none are “rebuking” then you have a pastor that doesn’t follow the biblical model. All of this must be present from time to time in preaching.
3. The sad condition: 3-4
The Bible says there will come a day when people won’t “endure sound doctrine.” The word “endure” literally means to “hold one’s self upright or firm against a person or thing.” In other words, they hear the truth but push it away.
Instead, they “heap up for themselves teachers…and they will turn themselves away from the truth…” They listen to preachers who make them feel good and say what they want to hear. These preachers scratch them where they itch – “itching ears. Do you want to know why we have so many sorry, wimpy, feeble-minded preachers on TV these days? Because it’s what people want and it’s what they watch. What a shame!
4. The serious command: 5
Paul contrasts these false teachers with Timothy. He turns to him and says, “But you…” In other words, it’s going to be different for you, this is not how you’re going to act. He lists four things…
a) Watch: “be watchful in all things…”
Keep your eyes open to your circumstances and surroundings. Watch out and be aware of what’s going on.
b) Endure: “endure affliction…”
Most of Timothy’s sufferings would come from the “religious crowd” that did not want to hear the truth. It was the “religious crowd” that crucified Christ and that persecuted Paul and had him arrested. Timothy would have to be a faithful soldier and endure affliction for the sake of the gospel.
c) Reach: “do the word of an evangelist…”
A preacher, no matter what he is preaching, should keep the lost souls in mind. This burden for the lost should characterize a pastor’s private ministry as well. Vance Havner once said, “A lot of preaching is motivated by love for preaching, not love of people.”
d) Fulfill: “fulfill your ministry…”
This means, “fulfill whatever God wants you to do.” Do what God has called you to do. Timothy’s ministry would not be exactly like Paul’s, but it would be important to the cause of Christ. A young preacher once complained to Charles Spurgeon, the famous British preacher of the 1800s, that he did not have as big a church as he deserved. “How many do you preach to?” Spurgeon asked. “Oh, about 100,” the man replied. Solemnly Spurgeon said, “That will be enough to give account for on the day of judgment.”
We do not measure the fulfillment of a ministry only on the basis of statistics or on what people see. We realize that faithfulness is important and that God sees the heart.
As I conclude this series of blog posts, I want to make one last point. The pastor’s role is to feed the people through the preaching of the Word of God. But it’s important to remember that the people must be willing to receive the Word and obey it. You’ve heard the phrase you can lead a horse to water but you can’t make him drink. I want you to understand this one: You can lead a sheep to pasture but you can’t make him eat.
This series, The Role of the Pastor, comes from a study that we’ve been doing on Wednesday nights at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA.
Last time I wrote about how a pastor is to lead the people. In this post, we’ll cover how a pastor is to protect the people. Now remember, this is not a series on the qualifications of a pastor. Those are spelled out very clearly in the pastoral epistles. This is a series about the function of the pastor or the job of the pastor.
Titus 1:10-13 says, “For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans arealways liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith…”
Remember, the Bible portrays the pastor as a shepherd. And part of the shepherd’s job is to protect the sheep. From what? From “wolves in sheep’s clothing.” In other words, from false teachers. The enemy is sneaky and he knows how to deceive. The most dangerous lie is one that has just enough truth to make it believable. And the best way to be protected from false teaching is to learn the truth. That’s why it’s so important that we preach, teach, learn and live the Bible!
1. Who they are: 10-12
It did not take long for false teachers to arise in the early church. Wherever God sows the truth, Satan quickly shows up to sow lies. Paul says here, “there are many…” Anytime God is at work the enemy will try and infiltrate the ranks. And the greatest dangers we face are from inside the church, not from outside the church. How do you know if someone is a wolf in sheep’s clothing? How do you know if a teacher should be followed or confronted? In this text, there are several characteristics of those who oppose the truth…
a) They are unwilling to submit to authority: 10
“For there are many who are insubordinate…” “Rebellious” would be a good translation. It refers to teachers who will not put themselves under authority. Beware of men such as this. Our ultimate authority is always the Word of God.
They were “idle talkers.” What they said impressed people, but it had no content or substance. When you “boiled it down,” it was just so much hot air; they excelled in talking, not in doing. If a pastor talks more about himself than Jesus…you’ve got a problem!
There are “deceivers” out there who lead people astray by their false doctrines. And sadly, many of them have their own TV show. Paul is referring here to those of the “circumcision party.” These were Jews within the church who were trying to impose Old Testament standards and traditions. They deceived people into believing that even though Christ had ushered in the era of grace, they must still fulfill the law.
b) They are unconcerned about others: 11
They didn’t care about others. Their practice was to deceive. While true shepherds have a great concern for the flock, false teachers only have concern for themselves. They were in it for themselves, “teaching for dishonest gain.” You know what these false teachers were? They were celebrities, not servants. They lived it up at the expense of their followers.
Paul told Titus that a true elder is not “greedy for money” but these false teachers are in it for “dishonest gain.” And they would “subvert whole households” in the process. That’s what doctrinal error will do; it divides families, friends and churches.
c) They are unfaithful to pure doctrine: 12-14
Do you see how false teachers “turn from the truth?” They have no concern for pure doctrine. Their only commitment is to themselves, their fame and their fortune.
Crete was known throughout the entire ancient world for being an incredibly immoral place. They probably had a slogan that went something like this: “What happens in Crete, stays in Crete.” Paul doesn’t personally criticize the Cretans for their morals. Instead, he lets another Cretan do it. “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” But then, Paul affirms this statement, “this testimony is true.” And all of this carnal and worldly living came from a basic denial of truth and pure doctrine. That’s what happens when doctrine doesn’t matter; morality deteriorates.
2. What they need: 11b, 13
It’s important that we identify false teachers, but what must be done once they are detected. How is a pastor to protect his flock?
a) They need to be rebuked: 11b
After you recognize and identify false teachers, it’s important to rebuke them. Notice two important phrases here. Verse 11 begins by saying, “Whose mouths must be stopped…” You don’t negotiate with false teachers; you silence them. You don’t stand by and let them take over; you confront the situation and take care of business. The only weapon against Satan’s lies is God’s truth.
Notice another phrase in verse 13, “rebuke them sharply…” Confront those who teach false doctrine and rebuke them sharply. The idea is one of urgency. This is no small or trivial matter—it is an urgent situation.
b) They need to be restored: 13b
Notice that phrase at the end of verse 13. “That they may be sound in the faith.” Why do we rebuke false teachers? We rebuke them in the hopes that we can restore them. That’s the goal…but sadly, it doesn’t happen very often.
The word “sound” there gives the idea of being healthy and strong in doctrine. It is sound and healthy doctrine that brings stability and strength to the church of God. We must know the truth so we can confront others when they speak that which is not truth and bring them back to the truth whenever possible. This is why it’s so important for us to know the Word!
This series, The Role of the Pastor, comes from a study that we’ve been doing on Wednesday nights at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA.
We continue the series on The Role of the Pastor. This is a four-part series that covers four major roles of a pastor: love, lead, protect and feed. In my last post, I covered how the pastor is to love the people. In this post, we’ll discover how the pastor is to lead the people.
Remember, the objective standard for defining the pastor’s role and responsibility is the Word of God – not my opinion, or your opinion, or the opinion of any denomination. The Bible gives the objective standard for the role of the pastor.
1 Peter 5:1-4 says, “The elders who are among you I exhort, I who am a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that will be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
One thing I notice about this particular text is that each of the three Greek words mentioned in last wee’s post that describe the function of a pastor appear here: elder- presbuteros, overseer- episkopos and shepherd- poimen. We’ll look at three truths from this passage concerning how the pastor is to lead the people that God has entrusted to him.
1. The pastor’s association: 1
When you read the word “association” don’t think your local Baptist association or convention. Instead, consider the wonderful encouragement offered from other pastors with whom you are associated. Peter says in verse 1 that he is a “fellow elder.” When I read those two words it almost seems as if Peter is saying, I’m in this with you. I want to “exhort” you in the faith as you lead. He is offering advice and encouragement to pastors.
He not only calls himself an “elder” but he also calls himself a “witness.” He was a witness of the “sufferings of Christ.” The word “witness” is martyr in the Greek. It gives the idea of one who would testify to the truth of something. He was a witness to the sufferings of Christ but he was also a “partaker of the glory that will be revealed.” Peter was on the Mount of Transfiguration and saw a glimpse of the glory of Jesus Christ. But he recognizes that there is more to come. In this simple phrase, Peter takes us from suffering to glory; from the cross to the Second Coming of Christ.
This is who we are in Christ as well. We are witnesses to His work upon the cross and we are partakers of the divine glory because of the Spirit of God that has been granted to us in salvation. We are associated, aligned and allied with Jesus Christ.
From what I can tell, pastors walk in very good company. It is a great cloud of witnesses, no doubt. There are some incredible men down throughout the ages who have held that great title and here, Peter claims the title for his own. Not a bad association if you ask me.
2. The pastor’s assignment: 2-3
In verses 2-3, Peter spells out the pastor’s assignment. He says, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock…”
The phrase “shepherd the flock” would be very familiar to Peter. On the night of Christ’s betrayal and arrest, Peter denied the Lord three times. Jesus was crucified and Peter went back to fishing. But after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples and specifically took time to restore Peter. You can take time and read John 21 for the entire account, but to summarize, Jesus says, “Peter do you love me? Then tend my lambs.” In other words, shepherd the flock of God. There is no doubt this is what Peter has in mind here as he passes on the Lord’s instructions to fellow pastors and church leaders. He goes into detail with three contrasts…
a) Not by compulsion but willfully
Pastors should lead the church willingly. In other words, they are not do grumble and complain as they go about the work of the ministry – they are to be filled with joy. Being a pastor is not something I have to do, it’s something I get to do. It is a joy, a privilege, a pleasure, a passion, a calling and a delight. There is nothing else in this world that I would rather do.
b) Not for dishonest gain but eagerly
Paul says that the laborer is worthy of his hire and that elders who rule and teach well are worthy of double honor. So, I believe it is biblical for churches to bless their pastors. But Peter makes it clear that financial gain should never be the pastor’s goal. Not for “dishonest gain.” The goal of ministry is not money, it’s the Master! The pastor should go about his job “eagerly.” The word translates to mean “of a ready mind.” It should be a joy to lead the people of God.
c) Not with arrogance but humbly
There is a very important balance that the pastor must realize and a tension that he must live with. The pastor is called to lead and to oversee the affairs of the church. But this should be done with humility, not arrogance; with love, not lording it over others. If I have to continually get up before the church and constantly remind them that I’m the leader, then I’m really not the leader.
3. The pastor’s accountability: 4
Pastor, you must remember your accountability before God. Shepherd the flock of God, because one day, the “Chief Shepherd will appear.” Peter speaks of the reward for those who have been faithful in leading God’s church according to His Word. “You will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” What an amazing promise. But this promise of reward also comes also with a reminder of our accountability before God. One day, we will all stand before Christ and give an account of our lives to him. This fact may bring you joy or may make you sick.
When I was growing up the phrase, “Wait till daddy gets home” had a couple of different meanings. It’s a promise of reward or a promise of punishment. If I had an especially difficult day, sometimes I would hear that phrase and it would strike fear into my heart. “Just wait till your daddy gets home.” But sometimes, after dad had been gone awhile and I’d been wanting to throw the ball, that phrase was a promise of reward. “Wait till daddy gets home…it won’t be long now.”
You see, the promise of this verse is a joy to those who can’t wait to see the face of Christ. To others, it’s the promise of judgment. Live (and pastor) in such a way that you know when you stand before Christ you will “receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.”
This series, The Role of the Pastor, comes from a study that we’ve been doing on Wednesday nights at Second Baptist Church in Warner Robins, GA.
It is absolutely essential that we learn what the Bible says a pastor ought to be. No doubt we all have our own ideas and opinions, but the Word of God sets the standard. Pastors should know their God-given roles and responsibilities according to God’s Word; and churches should know what the Bible says a pastor ought to be. We must have some objective standard by which to write the pastor’s job description and then to measure it faithfully. That standard is the Bible.
I want to be clear about what this series is and what it is not. This is not about the qualifications of a pastor. Those are spelled out very clearly in the pastoral epistles and is not the subject of these blog posts. Maybe we’ll get there one day, but not today.This is a series about the function of the pastor or the job of the pastor; what the pastor must do according to the Word. So we are not dealing with the requirements but the role; not who he should be, but what he must do.
We will cover four major topics: love, lead, protect and feed. This is by no means an exhaustive list, but any list that does not include these is certainly not exhaustive.
There are three major words in the NT that are used to refer to the pastor. They are used interchangeably but describe a different facet of pastoral duties.
Let’s focus on the first responsibility and role of the pastor – love the people. John 13:34-35 says, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Let’s focus on three words…
1. There is a requirement: we are commanded to love: 34a
Jesus says, “a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another…” This is not an option; it is a requirement for all believers. And if it is a requirement for all believers, it is certainly a requirement for pastors. A shepherd cares for his flock and pastors must care for their people.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 13 that there are three things that remain, faith, hope and love but the greatest is love. Why? Because faith will be sight and hope will be realized in Heaven, but love will always remain constant.
Love is the first listed in the Fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5. We must be characterized by love for one another and love for others. We should love those within our church and those outside of our church.
And of course, the pastor should faithfully and consistently show love to the people of God entrusted to his care.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer said, “A pastor should not complain about his congregation, certainly never to other people, but also not to God. A congregation has not been entrusted to a pastor that he may become its accuser before God and man.”
The great pastor, Martin Lloyd-Jones said, “To love to preach is one thing, to love those to whom we preach quite another.” The trouble with some of us is that we love to preach, but we are not always careful to make sure we love the people to whom we are preaching.
Now remember, love doesn’t always do what you want or tell you what you want to hear; love hurts sometimes. A good doctor will tell you the truth, even when it hurts. The same is true of a good pastor.
2. There is a reality: we are provided a perfect example of love: 34b
We are to love others as Christ has loved us…that’s a big job! Jesus says here, “love one another, even as I have loved you, that you love one another.” There’s no doubt that some people are harder to love than others. God uses those people in your life to teach you how to love like He does.
In John 13, Jesus pictures Himself as a shepherd, He provides an example for us all but especially for pastors.He is the Good Shepherd, the Great Shepherd and the Chief Shepherd; the Shepherd loves and lays down His life for the sheep.The pastor is called to love the people as Christ loves the people. That’s impossible without the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit.
Charles Spurgeon once said, “A man must have a great heart, if he would have a great congregation. His heart should be as capacious as those noble harbors along our coast, which contain sea-room for a fleet. When a man has a large, loving heart, men go to him as ships to a haven and feel at peace when they have anchored under the lee of his friendship.”
3. There is a reward: we are blessed when we love: 35
There is a reward promised here for followers of Christ. Our love for one another is a strong and undeniable testimony to the world. Jesus says, “By this all will know that you are My disciples.” A pastor that loves his church and a church that loves its pastor is an incredibly strong testimony to a world that’s watching.
I describe a good marriage as one where the husband thinks he’s blessed to have his wife and the wife thinks she’s blessed to have her husband. I think the church is very much the same way. A good relationship between pastor and people is when they both think they got the better deal!
No doubt there is an eternal blessing when we love as Christ commanded. But think about the immediate blessings as well. A pastor who truly loves his congregation will have more joy in ministry and also more influence in leadership.
Next up in this series, we will examine the pastor’s role to lead the people of God.