The Pastor, Called yet Criticised!
Being a pastor is not an easy job. For one thing, there are so many people who think it is his responsibility to make them happy. They have likes, ideas, and expectations, and the pastor immediately falls out of favor if he fails to accommodate them. I never cease to be amazed at how biblically illiterate or downright disobedient some of those church members are. They hide behind anonymity, secret meetings, or gossip sessions to spew their venomous infection, never taking into account that the God they say they know hears every word! They have either forgotten or ignored the fact that the Holy Spirit Who struck down Ananias and Sapphira still inhabits the Church.
Yet, there is a far worse problem that continually inhibits the effectiveness of the local church. It is when the pastor pays more attention to the naysayer than to the Lord Who leads. When he shirks his responsibility to follow the word of God as well as teach it, he nullifies his position. And, when he becomes so embroiled in controversy that he fails to stand in Christ’s victory, he finds himself on the battlefield… alone!
How we need to remember that when the man of God earnestly seeks to carry out the Great Commission and does it biblically rather than culturally, God becomes his Rear Guard and the Lifter of his head. The Sovereign Lord is the Power in the church, not the ones who withhold their tithes in an effort to control it. And, God has always worked through a leader of His choosing, not a committee of man’s choosing. It is only when we “wait upon the Lord” that our strength is renewed. There is no perfect church, and the antagonists will, in this age, always be with us; but, it is time to end the war in the church and to focus our attention on the real work to which we have been called; “Go into all the world and disciple the nations…”
Yet, there is a far worse problem that continually inhibits the effectiveness of the local church. It is when the pastor pays more attention to the naysayer than to the Lord Who leads. When he shirks his responsibility to follow the word of God as well as teach it, he nullifies his position. And, when he becomes so embroiled in controversy that he fails to stand in Christ’s victory, he finds himself on the battlefield… alone!
How we need to remember that when the man of God earnestly seeks to carry out the Great Commission and does it biblically rather than culturally, God becomes his Rear Guard and the Lifter of his head. The Sovereign Lord is the Power in the church, not the ones who withhold their tithes in an effort to control it. And, God has always worked through a leader of His choosing, not a committee of man’s choosing. It is only when we “wait upon the Lord” that our strength is renewed. There is no perfect church, and the antagonists will, in this age, always be with us; but, it is time to end the war in the church and to focus our attention on the real work to which we have been called; “Go into all the world and disciple the nations…”
2 Comments:
We so enjoyed your service on the 4th of July weekend! Your words of late have encouraged me and reminded me that God is in charge. That is why I have decided to jump ship: After decades of voting Republican, I am voting for Chuck Baldwin of the Constitution Party. The first part of their platform talks about how they believe God should be put back in charge of this country again. I know many are afraid of letting Senator Obama win by not voting for Senator McCain, however, my conscience will not allow me to vote for someone (McCain) who does not put God first in his life. What we need is not the Republican Party - that has virtually ignored true conservatives for years - but Revival. We must pray for and work toward revival - the only way to truly turn things around.
Please continue in encouraging others to meld politics and religion into a real world view based upon morality and truth that inspires personal and collective action - something I call statesmanship! The two were never meant to be separate! Encourage them to vote, even if they don't vote for either presidential candidate. So many local issues need our attention, and the pray they pray as they vote, one for national repentance and revival, is something that will not go unheard!
It my short life span, I have visited various churches and have been both a Methodist and now (thanks for grace) a Baptist. In listening to what the pastor preaches and what the Bible states, I have often been confused because they did not always appear to follow each other in context. That being said, I can honestly state that this is NOT the case when I hear you preach. I so appreciate the passion and honesty you put in each weeks mission. I would also like to add that your Sunday school lessons and teachings have been an inspiration to me and to others that I have spoken with after the sessions. I may not always like all the policies and procedures that take place, but I will stand firm on the fact that our church preaches the BIBLE and God's message and that our pastor is a God's man!
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