You must have JavaScript enabled in order to use this site. Please enable JavaScript and then reload this page in order to continue.

Five Things Every Pastor Should Be Thinking About - Articles | Preachit.org

Paypal users will need to re-register to our new system. Click Here

Five Things Every Pastor Should Be Thinking About

Share This:

Share on twitter
Share on linkedin
Share on facebook
Share on email

The word ‘pastor’, or any other form of it, occurs only nine times in the Bible, and once in the New Testament.

We find this reference in…

Ephesians 4:11

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

The Greek word for pastor is, “poimen,” which simply means a shepherd. The Hebrew word for pastor also means shepherd.

In modern day church culture, a pastor has also become much more than that. Unfortunately, the pastor has taken on every part of the five-fold ministry himself, thereby taking on offices not intended for him. This has led to much confusion and frustration for many who are pastors or feel led to become a pastor.

In modern vernacular, a pastor has become ‘ a one man, do it yourself, even though I am not really qualified to, kind of leader.’ As Lee Stoneking stated, we have become a ‘pastor driven organization.’

With that in mind, the very first thing that every pastor should consider is:

1.      Is my office of pastor fulfilling God’s role for a pastor?

A pastor is primarily a shepherd, somebody who cares for, protects and provides for every sheep in his flock.

·         He is also the overseer of the flock.

·         He is one who has experience.

·         He must have a ready mind.

·         He must manage the affairs of his flock.

1 Peter 5:2

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

As the shepherd, the pastor can also serve the role of the teacher. The pastor feeds his sheep through the teaching and preaching of the word.

Acts 20:28

28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.

The Word of God is our ‘bread of life’, the pastor must be ready and able to teach and relate the scriptures to every member of his flock.

There isn’t any one man who can fulfill the modern-day role of a “pastor.” You can only fulfill the role of pastor as God designed — as part of the five-fold ministry. Otherwise you will fail God, yourself, and most importantly, all of the people that you lead.

You need help, you can’t do it all alone. If you want to succeed and grow your church you must operate as a pastor in the scope of the five-fold ministry.

Ephesians 4:11-13

11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

As a pastor in this era of the church, you will have to be the one to re-instate the offices of the five-fold ministry in your church, it is up to you, nobody else will do it.

 

2.      Am I willing to leave ninety-nine behind for the sake of one who is lost?

Luke 15:4-7

4 What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

5 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

6 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

7 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Every pastor must have compassion for every person under their care. There can be no exceptions.

·         There will be people you pastor who seem to take up all of your time and all of your attention on trivial matters.

·         There will be people who help and work and sacrifice without you having to say hardly a word.

·         You must have compassion for both. They are both souls in God’s kingdom and God is not willing that they perish, you must feel the same way.

There will be people you love to be around, and there will be others who you don’t really relate to on a personal level, you must treat them all the same.

This will only happen if you truly love people. You must have a love for their souls. It takes a special person to do that. If one of your flock is lost, you may well be the only person between them and eternity.

3.      Am I willing to preach truth regardless of the costs?

We are living in a generation where truth has become ‘relative’ to most people. They don’t see the truth of God’s word as something that relates or refers to them. You must be willing to preach the unchanging truth of God’s word to all people regardless of what it costs you.

Paul never side-stepped the preaching of truth in his generation.  He was beaten, imprisoned, and finally killed for what he preached.

Acts 20:24

24 But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.

Having said that, the temptation will be to use your own wisdom to preach in ways that entice peoples thinking. Many pastors fall to this temptation and it ultimately leads to a compromise of faith. Be careful, this is a sign of the times.

Paul dealt with this in his generation….

1 Cor 2:4-5

4 And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man’s wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power:

5 That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.

Don’t let the thinking and wisdom of our generation water down the message…there is only one Lord, one Faith, and one Baptism! There is only one Name and that Name is Jesus. Salvation can come no other way.

Get ready, because you will be hated for His Name’s sake.

4.      Am I practicing what I preach?

A pastor who preaches without leading by example will ultimately fail.

Romans 2:21-22

21 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal?

22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege?

Most preachers are concerned about why their preaching is not more productive than it is. We are always seeking to find new ways to get people more interested in our preaching, yet not much works. Why is that? It may well be that many are not practicing what they preach.

Jesus said…

Matthew 23:1-4

23 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,

2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat:

3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.

4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.

If you are not practicing what you preach, you will be found out. When people find out, they will not follow you.

James said it is not enough to be hearers of the Word only, we must also be doers of the Word. You must practice everything you preach.

·         Be prayed up before you preach on prayer.

·         Don’t expect much from a sermon on soul winning unless you are winning souls.

·         If you are preaching on being a servant, you better be a servant.

Having said all that, these things must be in your heart. Prayer, fasting, studying, soul winning, servant hood, compassion, love and passion. These all bring anointing upon your ministry, without anointing your preaching will be in vain. These must become part of your life every day.

Your greatest sermons are not the ones you preach every Sunday, but the ones that you live before God and man every day!

 

5.      Am I putting my family first?

In the qualifications of Bishops and Deacons in 1 Timothy 3, it twice mentions the family….

1 Tim 3:4-5

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;

5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

 

1 Tim 3:10,12

10 And let these also first be proved;

12 Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well.

Before a man can ever qualify to pastor a church, he must have first proved himself to take care of his own house. That must continue while pastoring.

Do not spend so much time tending your flock that your own children are lost!

You may value your ministry more than your own life, but don’t value your ministry more than your families lives.

Prioritize in this order…

1.      God

2.      Family; wife/children

3.      Church

4.      Self

God will always have a church, it is up to you to make sure that your family becomes part of His church.

·         Make sure you take time out for your family.

·         Take time out for your wife.

·         Take  time out for your children.

·         Take them on vacation where they have all of your attention.

·         Be consistent in your home and at church.

·         Don’t be a hypocrite to your family or anybody else.

To be a pastor in the biblical sense of the Word requires a lot of thought and a whole lot of prayer.

Remember, God does not intend for you to do it all by yourself, but it is up to you to recognize and initiate change when and where it is needed.