Hundredfold Ministries, Int'l

"The commanding officer is responsible for all his troops do or fail to do." This quote is taken from the United States Marine Corps manual of instructions for a commanding officer. But let's think about it in the context of a church leader, and more specifically, a pastor. "A pastor is responsible for all his church and those in his congregation do or fail to do!"

Pastors occupy an awesome position in the church of Jesus Christ. They have the joy of seeing new people born into the Kingdom of God and the privilege of helping new believers mold their lives into the image of Christ. The pastor stands in the place of Christ in the church as he or she shepherds their congregation and sees them grow up in Christ.

However the office of the pastor also carries with it heavy responsibility. In a very real sense, the pastor stand responsible before God Almighty for all that his church does or fails to do.

THE PASTOR IN THE NEW TESTAMENT

Let's begin our examination of the office of the pastor by looking at Scripture. The New Testament Greek word used for pastor is B@4:�<, or poimen. The literal translation of the word poimen means, "a helper, or feeder of sheep."10 This Greek word appears 18 times in the New Testament. Surprisingly poimen is only translated once in the NIV as "pastor."

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers." (Eph 4:11 NIV, emphasis added.)

The other 17 times the word poimen appears in the New Testament the NIV translates it as "shepherd." For example,

When Jesus landed and saw a large crowd, he had compassion on them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd. So he began teaching them many things. (Mk 6:34 NIV, emphasis added.) Evolution of the Term "Pastor"

The most common word used in the New Testament to describe a church leader was presbyter, or elder. The Greek word for presbyter is presbuteros which is usually translated as elder and identifies a person. Thus, elder appears to be the common term the New Testament used to describe anyone in church leadership or in spiritual authority. I find twenty-eight uses of the word elder as it applies to the New Testament church between Acts 11 and Revelation 22. In fact, both John and Peter, though they occupied the highest New Testament office as apostles, claimed the title of elder for themselves. John starts two of his epistles with the phrase, "The elder." (2 Jn 1 and 3 Jn 1) Peter wrote, "To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder . . ." (1 Pet 5:1 NIV) A common expression in Paul's epistles is, ". . . to appoint elders in every city."11

Thus by the end of the second century the term elder was generally used to describe anyone in spiritual authority in the church, regardless of his or her specific ministry calling or position.

The much more common word used in the New Testament to describe the person in charge of a church was bishop. The Greek word for bishop is episkopos. The literal meaning of episkopos is overseer and describes what he or she does. The NIV Bible uses the word overseer seven times in the New Testament. Here are two examples.

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons: (Phi 1:1 NIV, emphasis added.)

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. (1 Tim 3:1 NIV, emphasis added.) (See also Acts 20:28, 1 Tim 3:2, Tit 1:7, 1 Pet 2:25 and 5:2.)

None of these verses make it clear whether there was only one or more than one overseer in the local church. The term bishop would have applied to the senior elder in a church or group of churches and was sometimes used interchangeably with pastor. But by the end of the second century the term bishop began to be used to describe someone who either had a large congregation or several churches under him.

By the mid-second century the rapid growth of the churches throughout the known world made it convenient to have a single official who represented the local congregation at regional or city-wide gatherings of clergy. So from among the elders of the church, various churches began to elect a principle elder as the "permanent president" of the congregation. This person became known as the pastor/bishop.12 Eventually the term pastor came to designate the single individual with the authority over a specific church.

Let's take a quick look at how the role of deacons differs with that of pastor in the church. In Acts, 6 we read about the early church choosing seven men as deacons. The Greek word for deacon is diakonos, and it means one who renders a service to another or one who ministers. The verb form of the word is diakonia, and it means the act, or process of serving or ministering. Theologian W. Ewing.13 gives us insight into the different roles of deacons versus pastors in ministry.

"The earliest fact we have about the organization of the Christian church is given in Acts, 6, where we are told "seven" men were appointed to what is called a "ministry of tables" . . . which is distinguished from the "ministry of the word" . . . This distinction between two different kinds of "ministry" which appears at the very beginning is seen to exist all through the apostolic church and beyond it into the sub-apostolic."

Thus the pastor is, in Ewing's words, among those who are "ministers of the word." The deacons (and others in the church who serve in helps ministries) are more functional in their ministries.

Of course, Paul gives us the full job description of those called to the five-fold ministries, including pastors.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. (Eph 4:11-13 NIV)

Within this Ephesians 4 context, one of the most important responsibilities a pastor has is to minister God's word to his or her people. It is very important for the pastor to recognize this and to allow nothing to rob his or her time and attention to the study and preparation of the word to his congregation. This must be the pastor's first priority. Of course there will be times when some unavoidable circumstance will interfere with Bible study and sermon preparation. But every pastor should guard his study and preparation time carefully.

SHEPHERD

Scripture frequently uses the term shepherd to describe the love and care Jesus felt for His people. No other English term in Scripture equals the word shepherd when it comes to describing the loving, self-sacrificing care a pastor uses to oversee and minister to his congregation. The verb form of shepherd, poimaino, meaning, "to shepherd" is used to describe the function or work of a pastor. The literal translation of 1 Peter 5:2 says, "Shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight . . ." 14

Paul told the elders at Ephesus to, "Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood." (Acts 20:28 NIV) The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament tells us what the word shepherding meant in the first century Middle East, the setting in which the Bible was framed.

"The shepherd goes before his flock, guides it, leads it to pastures and places where it may rest by the waters, who protects it with his staff, who whistles [calls] to the dispersed and gathers them, who carries the lambs in his bosom and leads the mother-sheep."

"To lead, to guide, to go before."

"Gathering the dispersed, righteous government and care for the weak."15

THE PASTOR TODAY

Now that we have looked at the Scripture and the unfolding of the office of the pastor, let us examine the call, the office, the character, and the ministry of the pastor in today's church.

1. The Call of the Pastor

Every pastor must have the call of God to the office. Indeed there will often be such hard times on the path of any ministry that the only thing sustaining the minister will be the knowledge that God has called him or her! God's call to the individual can take many forms. Perhaps He speaks to a person during an altar call, or in the privacy of prayer and meditation on the word, or through another person. But the one common element with each call is that everyone who is called by God knows it is God calling.

Each of us who are called to one of the five listed offices in Ephesians 4:11 (apostle, prophet, pastor, teacher, or evangelist) must have a specific understanding from the Lord as to which office he or she has been called. James tells us, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." (1:5 NIV) So if you know God has put a leadership call on your life, but aren't sure what form it should take, continue to seek the Lord about it. He will be faithful to guide you into the proper role within His church.

2. Characteristics of a Pastor

I believe there are certain common characteristics of individuals who have a pastor's call. After considerable study and extensive up close observation of dozens of pastors over the years, I believe the following general observations are quite accurate and descriptive of mature pastors.

a. Identifies With the People - The mature pastor identifies with the people of God. He or she genuinely feels both the pain and the joy of his flock. This empathy is one of the reasons people feel free to go to their pastor in times of trouble. His identity with his people can be sensed and is greatly appreciated.

b. Loves the Church and the People of God - The call of the pastor encompasses great love for God's church and His people. He also will specifically and genuinely love his own congregation.

c. Flows in Great Mercy - The pastor has an abundance of mercy. It is this mercy that is one of the key and absolutely necessary ingredients for a successful pastorate. It is this mercy which enables the pastor to love and comfort the sinner, even in the midst of the sin.

d. Cares More About People Than Issues - While the pastor cares about issues which face the church, his primary focus is on people, his sheep. The pastor sees issues in very human terms, who will be pleased, who will be hurt or unhappy, and so on. Unfortunately, this approach can limit the effectiveness of a pastor in dealing with an issue or problem. That's why it is important for the pastor to have good, strong godly advisors who can help him weigh all the factors involved in any decision.

e. Focuses on the Sinner, Not the Sin - While the pastor is aware of the sin, and must be willing to deal with it, the pastor's focus and intensity is on the people involved much more than on their sin. Again this can be a problem with those who, for example, have a prophetic call and are thus more focused on the sin than on the individuals involved.

3. The Office of the Pastor

The office of pastor is a sacred position. It is the office of the pastor as the head of the local church that elevates the person of the pastor. There may be other ministers, even apostles and prophets, in a local church but the one who occupies the office of pastor is in charge of and responsible for that congregation. (This is not to say that the apostle or prophet may not exercise spiritual authority over the pastor as an individual from time to time.

This position of pastor gives the one who occupies it great authority over the congregation. The pastor's authority is truly an extension of God's authority. This authority is to be used for the building up of the church. Most regrettably this same authority can be wrongfully used to abuse the church. Paul referenced this on one occasion referring to the authority of his office as an apostle. He wrote, "This is why I write these things when I am absent, that when I come I may not have to be harsh in my use of authority-the authority the Lord gave me for building you up, not for tearing you down." (2 Cor 13:10 NIV, emphasis added.) Every pastor must be willing to use this God-given authority, but he or she must also have a righteous fear of God of ever abusing it. It is a horrible thing to abuse God's sheep.

4. The Character of the Pastor

In an ideal world, every pastor should be able to say to his congregation the same thing Paul said, "Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ." (1 Cor 11:1 NIV) Paul's words must be the goal of every pastor. However I like a quote I recently heard attributed to C. S. Lewis as it relates to a pastor, "Think of me as a fellow patient in the same hospital who, having arrived a little earlier, could give some advice."

The pastor's personal life should be one of godly purity in his or her family and community. This is not to say he never sins! No, we are still in this body of flesh and fall prey to its weaknesses daily. But a godly pastor may not harbor glaring character flaws and on-going sin. The office he occupies demands that he or she live a life of purity before his immediate family, the church, and the local community.

Scripture gives us two almost identical lists that are to be used for the character qualifications of a pastor. They are found in 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. Let us briefly look at each of these qualifications. 16

a. Above Reproach - Here Scripture is saying that a pastor is to be above any act or condition that would open him to blame, rebuke or anything that would bring shame to himself, his family, or his church.

b. One Wife - In the first century polygamy was common. In view of the prevailing social conditions in the world of the first century church, it seems to me that husband of one wife here refers to polygamy rather than divorce and remarriage. However I respect the opinion of those who do not agree.

c. Sober, Not Given to Drunkenness - Webster's dictionary defines sober as, "To be temperate or sparing in the use of alcoholic liquor, not drunk, temperate in any way; not extreme or extravagant, serious, solemn, not garish or flashy; quiet; plain: said of color, clothes, etc. not exaggerated or distorted . . . characterized by reason, sanity, or self-control; showing mental or emotional balance." Of course, the most obvious meaning of not given to drunkenness means that one is not to get drunk. In today's world that would include both drugs and alcohol.

d. Self-controlled - To be self-controlled means to be able to be in command over oneself, one's emotions, desires, words, actions, etc.

e. Respectable - To be respectable means to be worthy of esteem, to be able to conform to socially acceptable behavior and attitudes.

f. Hospitable - To be hospitable means to be kind, friendly and solicitous towards guests, favoring the health, growth, comfort, etc. of others, especially of new arrivals.

g. Not Violent - To be violent means to act with physical force so as to injure, damage or destroy; to act with strong feeling or emotion; to be vehement or furious.

To be not violent means the opposite of these things. It means to refrain from acts of physical force or of showing strong angry feelings or emotions in a physical way.

h. Gentle - To be gentle means to be refined, courteous, kind, serene, patient, not violent, harsh or rough.

i. Not Quarrelsome - To be quarrelsome means one is inclined or ready to argue with others; it implies verbal strife marked by anger and hostility.

To be not quarrelsome means to be able to get along with others, to refrain from verbal abuse or meanness of speech.

j. Not Loving Money - Everyone realizes that it takes money to exist in today's world. I understand that. But Paul speaks of not loving money. "For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs." (1 Tim 6:10 NIV)

k. Manage His Own Family Well - A pastor's family is to be in order. The pastor's spouse is to be fully supportive of the ministry call. The pastor's children are to be decent and orderly.

Let me add a word here about the pastor's responsibility to protect his wife and children. For every pastor, as with every Christian, God should come first, his family second, and his ministry work third. A pastor's family needs his love, his protection, his support, and his attention.

l. Children Obey Him with Proper Respect - Paul's admonition here is quite plain. His words are intended to portray a family whose children are under proper control. Paul is stating that a pastor's children are to be in subjection, they are to obey and respect him. This applies to all children who are still living at home. I don't think it is valid to hold a pastor responsible for the misconduct of his grown children, especially for children who are unbelievers.

m. Not A Recent Convert - Many young people will receive a call to ministry soon after conversion, then immediately attempt to enter the call. This is what Paul is cautioning against here. Young converts are highly subject to their own flesh as well as the devil's multiple snares, particularly pride. What Paul is urging here is a waiting period of a few years to allow for the maturing of the future minister. This admonition also applies to older converts who receive a call to ministry.

n. Good Reputation with Outsiders - Finally, Paul is saying that those who enter the ministry should have a good reputation among non-believers. In other words, a pastor should be highly esteemed in the community at large.

The above list is an excellent guide for considering the qualifications of a pastor. I believe that this list is to be a goal, or standard, by which we are to measure ourselves and those whom the Lord has called to ministry. However, few if any of us will qualify on all points of this list! So do not look for or expect perfection. You won't find it in yourself or anyone else!

5. The Ministry of the Pastor

Let us now address what a pastor actually does. Although the duties of a pastor will vary from church to church, Scripture does set forth some basic functions of all pastors.

a. Preaching - All true pastors preach the Word of God. The object of preaching is to motivate the listeners to action. At the completion of a sermon people should have a clear call set before them that demands action on their part. Good preaching spurs action such as to repent, to stop sinning, to study the Bible more, to deal with anger, lust or greed, to worship God more, and so on. We must motivate the listeners through our preaching.

Everyone who preaches should strive for excellence in content, completeness, form of delivery, accuracy and clarity of speech. Every preacher should have a close, trusted friend to whom he gives the liberty to provide honest critiques of his sermons. My wife does this for me. She listens carefully for inaccuracies, exaggerations, and repetitions as well as for points that weren't as clear as they could have been. She also listens for what we call "speech crutches." Speech crutches are phrases that are often repeated through the sermon that quickly become abrasive to listeners. For example, I tend to open each new topic with, "Now . . ."

Here are some common speech crutches I hear: "Somebody say amen!" "Turn to someone and say ______." "How many of you know that _____."

Pastors, admonitions or personal critiques may be ego-deflating or offensive to you, but if you do not allow anyone to critique your sermons in this manner you are doing yourself and your congregation a great disservice.

Let me also urge you not to copy the preaching styles of another preacher whom you admire. By copying I mean using the same tone of voice, same phrases, even using the same funny stories. My counsel: DON'T DO IT! God does not make carbon copies! He makes individuals. Be yourself in the pulpit. Don't try to be like anyone else. God made you just the way you are and He wants you to present His word to your congregation.

One final thought on preaching: when you preach speak boldly and authoritatively! Scripture actually tells us to do so. Peter wrote, "If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. . . he should do it with the strength God provides, so in all things God may be praised . . ." (1 Pet 4:11 NIV)

b. Teaching - One of the other five-fold ministries is a teacher. (The office of the teacher will be examined in detail in chapter 12.) The difference between preaching and teaching is this: Preaching motivates us to act, teaching tells us how to act. The object of teaching is to bring clear understanding. Teaching should tell the listener how and why to stop sinning, stop lusting, stop coveting, and so forth. Then it tells him or her how to start living a Christ-like life, how to overcome the enemy, and how to overcome the various sins in his life.

Every pastor has the responsibility of teaching his or her people. Some pastors are more gifted at teaching than others. If a pastor is unable to effectively teach, he should find someone, preferably from within the church, who has a teaching call and have that person teach. Obviously, if the church is large, there should be several teachers. Regardless of who does it, it is vital that every church have an active, structured, on-going teaching program for every age group.

c. Mentoring - One very important task a pastor has is mentoring. By mentoring I mean being a wise, loyal advisor and teacher to other, less mature Christians. To mentor someone is a great privilege. A pastor should constantly be looking for people who have a call to ministry. He should make it a practice to train these people. He or she should spend time with them, teach and encourage them. For example, a pastor can share his study notes and material with them. At the appropriate time a pastor should put them in positions of ministry. Street or prison ministry is often a good training setting for young ministers.

d. Counseling - Counseling is another basic function of a pastor. It is natural for Christians to seek the counsel and wisdom of their pastor for the personal problems in their lives and families. Indeed, many pastors find counseling to be the most time-consuming part of their ministry.

Here are some helpful pointers about counseling:

1. Not all pastors are able counselors. Don't assume the gift of counseling just because you are a pastor. While some are more naturally able than others, good counseling is a skill that must be learned through prayer, study and experience.

2. Some people don't want answers for their problems. They just want the attention they receive through counseling.

3. Pastors should never counsel a person of the opposite sex alone, or in unsupervised conditions. . . don't give the devil such a wonderful opportunity!

4. Never air from the pulpit, or reveal to anyone, what you learned in counseling. In so doing you destroy the very foundation of successful counseling which is the sense of confidentiality. It also brings discredit on yourself and your office as pastor.

5. Don't be disappointed when people reject or fail to follow your counsel. Only those who desperately want victory will be eager to obey your counsel and the word of God.

e. Managing and Administrating - One of the inherent responsibilities all pastors have is managing the affairs of the church he or she is pastoring. Frankly, many find this to be the most unpleasant part of ministry. However, if this job is left undone or poorly done, it will become a limiting factor in God's ability to bless a church with numerical or financial growth. I am aware of one church that had a history of financial and management abuse and neglect. When a new pastor came to the church, the Lord told him to get the financial and administrative aspects of the church in order. God told him that He could not and would not move in the church until these matters were properly done.

Financial Management-It is not good policy for the pastor to personally handle the money of the church. I don't think the pastor should even be a part of the group which handles the money. If possible, delegate the handling of money to deacons . . . always insuring that two or more are present when the offerings are counted and reported. This robs the enemy of the opportunity to tempt and accuse.

The offerings are God's money and He wants a proper accounting of them. There must be a permanent record of all offerings and expenses kept. When good records are kept, Satan cannot use one of his favorite tools to disrupt and tear down a church, accusations of misuse of funds.

Administrative Management-Things such as correspondence, meeting schedules, purchase of supplies, record keeping, and so forth are also part of management. The gift of administration is one of the gifts listed separately from the call of the pastor. (1 Cor 12:28) But every pastor must do some administration. If he or she doesn't, the church pays a price. As a case in point, when I plan a seminar in a foreign country I always write ahead and tell the host pastor exactly what I will need for training aids such as a public address system, chalk and chalkboard, etc. I have learned that if I don't do this, some of these items may not be there when I arrive! This doesn't mean that the pastor is unspiritual, it simply means that he is not a good administrator.

Frankly, some pastors do not have good administrative skills. If this is so, he or she needs to acknowledge this lack and seek out someone in the congregation who does have these skills and empower him to oversee the administrative affairs of the church. In other words, every church should be well administered, if not by the pastor, then by someone else acting under his authority.

f. Guarding - Just as a shepherd guards his flock against anything that will harm his sheep, so also must a pastor guard his people against anything that will harm them. In the natural realm, a shepherd guards against predatory animals, dangerous places, harmful food, sickness, disease and so on. The pastor of a church must act with similar vigilance in the spiritual realm.

Let's look at Paul's final, heartrending counsel to the overseers of the church at Ephesus. These were his parting words to them and they obviously came from the very depth of his heart.

"Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought l not spare the flock. Even from your own number men will arise and distort the truth in order to draw away disciples after them. So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears." (Act 20:28-31 NIV, emphasis added.)

These words of Paul's should cause every pastor to be vigilant. Here are some of the other things Scripture tells us to guard against:

". . . Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: 'Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.'" (Lk 12:1 NIV, emphasis added.)

"Then he said to them, 'Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'" (Lk 12:15, emphasis added.)

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves." (Mat 7:15 NIV, emphasis added.)

"Jesus answered: 'Watch out that no one deceives you.'" (Mat 24:4 NIV, emphasis added.)

"I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Keep away from them." (Rom 16:17 NIV, emphasis added.)

"Watch out for those dogs, those men who do evil, those mutilators of the flesh." (Phi 3:2 NIV, emphasis added.)

"Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers." (1 Tim 4:16 NIV, emphasis added.)

A good pastor will continually be on guard against the dangers listed above. If the enemy knows a pastor will take immediate scriptural action, he is far less likely to use these tactics against a church. However, if a pastor is uninformed, weak or fearful, the enemy will be relentless in attacking his flock! Be on guard!

g. Discipline - By far the most unpleasant task a pastor must do is to discipline errant sheep. In fact, it is so unpleasant many pastors simply do not discipline. No pastor wants to do it. No true pastor likes it. But if a church is to remain healthy, it must be done from time to time.

I'm convinced that many pastors fail to discipline because they don't know how. As to how to discipline, Paul gave excellent instructions:

"Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." (Gal 6:1 NIV, emphasis added.)

Thus we see that the object of church discipline is restoration. If one of our toes gets sore and swells up none of us would want to cut it off, would we? No! We would do everything within our power to heal it. So it should be with sinful church members.

But if the toe has gangrene we must cut it off or the whole body will perish. Some people will not repent of their sin. Simply stated, when all biblical means of correction have failed, and there is still no repentance, it is then proper to consider more severe discipline. Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5, and Galatians 6:1 should be your guide. Of course, properly administered discipline will involve not only the pastor but the elders of the church as well.

There is a second reason why discipline is vital to the church. It preserves the spiritual health of the church. As Paul told the church at Corinth, "Don't you know that a little yeast works through the whole batch of dough? Get rid of the old yeast that you may be a new batch without yeast . . ." (1 Cor 5:6-7 NIV)

6. Weaknesses of Pastor

Every human being who occupies any of the five-fold offices has weaknesses. No one is in perfect balance. The pastor is no exception. So the following is a list of weakness pastors often have. Obviously I am not saying that every pastor has all of these weaknesses. However, if you are a pastor, allow the list to be a spiritual mirror. If the Holy Spirit quickens certain of the items to you, you should take corrective action.

a. Improper Use of the Pulpit - The pulpit is sacred. Abusing the privilege of standing in God's pulpit is very serious. One church I preached in had an inscription inside the lectern where the speaker would see it when he approached. It read, "Sir, we would see Jesus." May it be so in every pulpit around this world.

Unfortunately, some pastors have a habit or tendency to tell individuals things from the pulpit that they don't have the courage to tell them to their face. This should never be done! Never rebuke or admonish individuals from the pulpit unless you have spoken extensively to them in private and only then if there is no repentance.

Never use the pulpit to criticize or put people down.

Never use the pulpit to exalt yourself or members of your family.

Never use the pulpit for personal gain such as letting the people know of a financial or other need you may have.

b. Financial Abuse - Some pastors control all of the money in the church. They allow no one else to know how much money is taken in the offerings or to know how much he or she takes as a wage. This is wrong! All proper financial accounting in a church should involve the deacons. A church treasurer should be selected from among the deacons. If a church is very small other appropriate steps can be taken, but always with openness and honesty.

I know of a church who had a missionary speak for several days in its annual missions conference. On the last day of the conference the pastor stood and gave a lengthy, emotional appeal to the people for a special offering for the missionary. "Every penny goes to our brother," he said. The next day the pastor sent the missionary on his way without giving him one cent! That pastor will have to answer to God one day for such financial abuse.

c. Family Run Churches - From time to time I have seen churches that were "owned and operated" by a single family. That is not right. The Church belongs to God, not to a person and certainly not to that person's family. While there may be a legitimate reason to start a church using only family members, as soon as the church begins to grow it is very important to begin placing qualified non-family members in positions of authority within the church. A good, healthy church leadership will be composed of people from within the community in which it is located.

d. Only Disciplining Sexual Sin - The Bible lists many things that are sin: greed, gossip, love of money, gluttony, stealing, lying, just to name a few. But I have observed, even among Bible believing churches that very few pastors will discipline for any reason other than blatant sexual sin. I know of a church in which the pastor self-increased his salary to an exorbitant level, ran the church into debt paying his salary and then left the church! Yet his denominational brethren did nothing! He is still considered to be in good standing among the brethren of his denomination. In my view this is blatant greed and is grounds for church discipline. I'm sure if this same pastor had engaged in sexual sin, his brethren would have disciplined him!

e. Fear of Man - The fear of man is a subtle thing. Usually it creeps in without us knowing it. A pastor has been overtaken with the fear of man when he is overly concerned about everyone's opinion, or when he changes activities or procedures within the church because of one person's comment. The Bible clearly teaches us that there is only one being we are to fear - God! Proverbs 29:25 says, "Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the LORD is kept safe." (NIV)

A pastor who will not preach on certain subjects because he fears repercussions or that he will lose some people has a problem with the fear of man. A pastor must approach the pulpit as boldly as would Moses! Whatever the Holy Spirit gives him or her to preach he is to proclaim without apology. Yes, some people may not like it and even may leave the church, but does not the Bible say, ". . . the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart"? (Heb 4:12 NIV, emphasis added.)

Paul faced this accusation from the Galatians head on. He asked, "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." (Gal 1:10 NIV, emphasis added.)

The emphasized portion of Paul's statement is powerful. Paul is saying that if he is a man-pleaser he cannot be a servant of Christ! The two are mutually exclusive. Lord, may we learn to fear You alone!

f. Fear of Losing Pastorate - Some pastors fear losing their position. This fear can be manifested in a number of ways. One of them is that he or she rarely if ever allows anyone else to preach in the pulpit. He makes all the announcements, does all preaching, teaching and, if so talented, even does music! Our security must be in the Lord, not in the position of pastor.

g. Loses Vision Easily - One of the very special giftings of a pastor is that of intense care for his sheep, individually and collectively. His job is to nurture the people the Lord has given him. But herein lies the problem. Sometimes, as months turn into years, continually dealing with people's problems reduces the pastor's vision. He begins to see only the immediate and loses sight of the future. His preaching begins to address only the immediate to the neglect of any larger vision. The vision for his city or region given him by the Lord years ago has faded from memory. A good leader has a vision or burden from the Lord and is continually guiding his people toward that God-given goal.

h. Undue Political Involvement - I have taken great care in writing this section. First I want to state the principles involved then I will address the legitimate exceptions.

The general principle is this: preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ and preaching politics do not mix. Nowhere in the New Testament is there even a hint of Paul, Peter, John, or any other church leader ever showing the slightest concern for worldly political endeavors. Certainly Jesus did not. Few Christians today suffer as did Paul. He was persecuted more by the government of his day than most Christians are today. But we never heard a word from him criticizing the Roman government. Even while he was in the Roman prison he regarded himself as "the prisoner of Christ." Furthermore, he ran a very effective prison ministry from within!

Rather than politics, Paul's emphasis always remained the gospel, for he wrote, "For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." (1 Cor 2:2 NIV)

I am sorry to say that in America today, some Christians who are involved in political causes or with political beliefs try to make them all "Christian" causes or beliefs. They are not. It is easy to make political statements from the pulpit. If you do so regularly you will eventually end up with a congregation that agrees with you. Why? Because those who don't will leave. But that is not biblical. You are preaching the gospel plus your own personal political views. Do not fall prey to this life-strangling practice!

Now for possible exceptions. I know that there are countries today in which Christianity is not only illegal but earns believers mandatory prison or even death. There are other countries which systematically oppresses Christianity. In these settings a pastor does what he must do as the Holy Spirit guides and empowers. But even if you are in such a nation, remember that the real enemy is the spiritual forces of darkness behind the oppressive government. Therefore the primary battlefield must always be spiritual, not political.

THE CONGREGATION'S RESPONSE TO THE PASTOR

A pastor is to be honored and respected by his people. Paul made this very clear when he wrote, "The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching." (1 Tim 5:17 NIV)

Every Christian is part of the priesthood of believers. (Rev 1:6, 5:10) It is the responsibility of every member of every local church to be a positive, Christ centered member of that church. Part of that responsibility is to honor the office and the person of the pastor. He or she is God's representative in that church.

How can the people give honor to their pastor? They can refrain from gossiping about him or his family; they can speak well of him; they can see to it that his financial needs are met by paying him a livable wage; they can pray for him; they can speak encouragement to him when he needs to be encouraged; and they can bless him from time to time in various ways with food, finances and events that show appreciation for him or her.

Those who labor in the word are worthy of double honor.

EVEN PASTORS CAN BE STUBLING BLOCKS

All pastors need to realize that there are times when the Lord wants to move a church in a new or fresh direction. This can mean anything from changing the format of the Sunday morning service to it being time for the pastor to retire or move on to a new church and allow someone else to take over as pastor.

But for a number of reasons, many pastors strongly resist any change. They like things the way they are, or they are too busy to hear the Lord's prompting voice, or they are just too comfortable to want to try something new. Since the Christian life is a walk of faith, often the word of the Lord is simply, "Do this" without further leading. This usually means stepping out of security into insecurity!

If a pastor refuses to listen to the still small voice telling him it is time for a change, the pastor has become a stumbling block to the church. He is no longer helping the church, but rather he is hindering it. All of us have free will. God does not force us to obey. He simply, quietly asks us to do His will. The ultimate choice is ours. Pastors are no different. Like the rest of us, if they don't obey God, He is not pleased. It is then that the church itself suffers.

The problem is that most people in the church never know what is going on in the spiritual realm. They only know that the church services no longer have the life in them they once had. But the spiritually mature know. The Holy Spirit quietly reveals to them the problem.

What is a church to do in such circumstances?

Among the spiritually mature are the church elders. It is the primary responsibility of the church elders to communicate with the pastor what they are hearing the Holy Spirit say. Most often this is the push that is needed. Remember, the pastor is not God's enemy, he simply may be slow to obey.

However, if the elders fail to move or fail in their effort, it then becomes a matter for the spiritually mature to begin fasting and praying for God to undertake sovereignly. One point must be taken in such circumstances. No one has the liberty to approach God in prayer without a pure heart in this matter! By this I mean there should be no anger, malice or vindictiveness towards the pastor in the hearts of those fasting and praying. Neither can there be a gossip campaign among the people. That is flesh and is very unpleasing to God. This must be a spiritual matter. Remember, God placed the pastor in the pulpit and because of that he or she is worthy of our honor and respect. Our job is to pray that God's will be done in our churches, He will answer in His time!

CONCLUSION

The office of the pastor is a powerful one, full of both valleys and mountain top experiences. But one thing is certain, our pastors need our prayers.

Lord, first I want to thank you for the countless pastors you have called to serve your people. We acknowledge that they have spiritual authority over your churches and we honor their office, their call, and their person.

Lord, guide them, bless them, and empower them lead your church in these end times. Bless them, guide them, and empower them to listen to your Holy Spirit and then be quick to obey your direction. Continue to give our churches leaders who will move in Your mighty power and who will have the courage to preach the gospel until You return! Amen.

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10. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Page 2258.

11. There are those who persuasively argue that the early church had a plurality of elders and that no single elder was in charge or over the other elders. Because this was so, they say, the proper biblical model for church leadership today is a council of elders. However, as church history moved into the second century and beyond it is evident that the Holy Spirit orchestrated the concept of one person, the pastor, being in charge of and responsible for one church.

12. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, Volume 3, Page 2060.

13. Ibid, page 2057.

14. The Interlinear Literal Translation of The Greek New Testament, by George Ricker Berry, Ph.D, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan, Page 602.

15. The Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, by Gerhard Kittel and Gerhard Friedrich, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, Michigan, Volume 6, pages 486-487.

16. Many of the following definitions have been taken from Webster's New World Dictionary of the American Language, David B. Guralnik, Editor in Chief, William Collins + World Publishing Co., Inc.