This month is pastor appreciation month. We need to honor our pastors and thank them for all they do. Our pastors take on quite a load. They not only hear from the Father for themselves, but everyone that comes to them for counsel and guidance in spiritual and life matters. They and their families are put under a microscope and expected to be the crème de la crème…the best and most pure and holy with no problems, and to be on call at all hours of the day and night. So much is expected of them that it’s no wonder many burn out.
As I began to research for this post, I discovered a lot of revelatory things.
1 Samuel 8:4-7 Then all the elders of Israel gathered together and came to Samuel at Ramah; and they said to him, “Behold, you have grown old, and your sons do not walk in your ways. Now appoint a king for us to judge us like all the nations.” But the thing was displeasing in the sight of Samuel when they said, “Give us a king to judge us.” And Samuel prayed to the LORD. And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in regard to all that they say to you, for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me from being king over them.” (NASB)
The people wanted a king so the Lord said, “Here’s your king.” He gave them Saul for a king.
The Lord had all the tribes gather together to publicly declare Saul as king and they couldn’t find him so they asked the Lord where he was, and the Lord told them Saul was hiding himself by the baggage. Here’s your king. There were more after him. (1 Samuel 10:1,17-22 NASB)
You can read in Jeremiah 2:8,10,21;12:10;22:22,23:1 and 2, as well as Kings, Chronicles, etc. about the ones that came after Saul. They all wanted to do their own thing.
Jeremiah 23:4,5 “I shall also raise up shepherds over them and they will tend them; and they will not be afraid any longer, nor be terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the LORD. “Behold, the days are coming,” declares the LORD, “When I shall raise up for David a righteous Branch; And He will reign as king and act wisely and do justice and righteousness in the land.” (NASB)
Ezekiel 34:23,24 “Then I will set over them one shepherd, My servant David, and he will feed them himself and be their shepherd. And I, the LORD, will be their God, and My servant David will be prince among them; I, the LORD, have spoken.” (NASB)
David wasn’t a perfect man, but he loved the Lord with all his heart and wanted to be the shepherd God knew he was. He sought the Lord on matters for the people and worked hard to guide them in the ways of the Lord.
Then came Jesus Christ…the manifestation of the Father in flesh.
Ephesians 1:22,23 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all. (NASB)
Ephesians 4:15,16 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him, who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by that which every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love. (NASB)
1 Corinthians 11:3 But I want you to understand that Christ is the head of every man, and the man is the head of a woman, and God is the head of Christ. (NASB)
Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body. (NASB)
Pastors aren’t supposed to carry the whole load. Husbands should be teaching their families and helping them grow in the Lord. Each of us should be learning from the Lord and sharing what we learn with the Body.
It looked to me like the elders in the scriptures above didn’t want to do their part. They wanted someone to take the brunt of the load. It’s a lot harder to be still and listen for the voice of the Lord than just let someone else do it.
I looked up: pastor, shepherd, apostle, disciple, elder, deacon, leader, teacher and evangelist in the concordance and found that they are all pretty much the same thing. The Body as a whole is supposed to minister, teach, etc. as led by the head, Christ, who lives in us.
In Acts 6, the disciples were increasing and, once again, people complained about things so the twelve summoned the congregation and told them to select seven men to take care of the widows. Then the twelve said,
Acts 6:4 :But we will devote ourselves to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” (NASB)
Logos….spoken word.
Acts 6:8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. (NASB)
Stephen was ministering Christ, as should we all.
Love your pastor and their family. Hug them, encourage them, lighten their load and pray for them. We’re all in this together with Christ as our head.
Yes, we need pastors because we are people and it’s what we do. Let’s move together as one in Him and minister Christ wherever we go.