Acts 20:26-36
Thesis: The pastor’s job is to build the fellowship of the church.
Introduction
The pastor proclaims eternal truths to people who would rather hear the latest baseball scores. He teaches, though he must solicit his own students. He heals, though without pills or knife. He prays for people and hopes they pray for him. He leads worship and tries to make God real to those present. He sows God’s Word and cultivates God’s vineyard so that we may have deep roots in Christ and bear abundant fruits of the Spirit. He is a manager, administrator, correspondent, keeper of the official records. He is sometimes a lawyer, often a social worker, frequently a one-man emergency squad. He is the favorite target of panhandlers and decorative piece at public functions. He is a writer, speech maker, something of an editor, a bit of a scholar, philosopher, entertainer, salesman, and arbitrator. He is a theologian in residence and interpreter of the church at large. He seeks the lost, visits the sick, counsels the troubled. He comforts the afflicted, and afflicts the comfortable. He tries to get people ready for baptism, ministry, marriage, parenthood, old age, and finally death. He tries to keep people focused on eternity as they rush through time. He tries to stay sweet when chided for either doing or not doing his duty, and often discovers that doing his duty can be just as offensive as not doing it. He plans programs and recruits and trains workers when he can get them. He is determined to multiply ministry and not monopolize it. He wants people to experience the joy of being givers of Christian service as well as being recipients. Then he spreads considerable time in keeping people out of each other’s hair. Between all this he prepares two sermons and preaches them on Sunday to those who don’t happen to have any other engagement. Then on Monday, he smiles when some jovial chap roars, “What a job–one day a week!”
Three Descriptions of a Pastor
A. Shepherd–nurture, feed, and care for the church, Acts 20:28.
B. Bishop–to oversee, administrate the ministry of the church.
C. Elder–a leader by example.
- The pastor is a servant leader. People can be led but not driven.
- The pastor is a servant to servants of the Servant.
- Illustration: “Follow the leader”
a. If he is too daring, he attempts things that will discourage followers.
b. If he is too cautious, the game becomes boring.
c. In either case, followers drop out and quit.
Three Priorities of a Pastor
A. Preach the Word, 2 Timothy 4:2.
B. Love the People–even when they don’t love you and when they are unlovable.
C. Keep your eyes on Jesus, and you will never be discouraged.
- Discouragement is sin–the sin of self-centeredness, “poor me.”
- It means we have gotten our eyes off Jesus.
- When discouraged, there are three alternatives:
a. repent of the sin of discouragement;
b. resign and move on; or
c. quit the ministry altogether.
Two Relationships to the Pastor
A. It is a relationship to a person. Apply the same biblical principles to the pastor as to another Christian brother.
B. It is a relationship to a position. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13. The position of pastor is a God-appointed position. It is one of four basic areas of God’s delegated authority in the world.
- In the family, parents are God’s appointed leaders.
- In the government, officials are God’s delegated authorities to establish and maintain social order.
- In the church, the pastor is called of God and anointed for leadership. Pastors have a calling no one else has, a responsibility no one else has, an accountability no one else has.
- In business, the employer is God’s appointed leader to provide work and economic needs for people.
Four Actions when the Pastor Goes Wrong
A. Stay right. Keep a right heart. Refuse to be embittered, involved in talebearing, slander and gossip. Practice Ephesians 4:30-32.
B. Pray for him and try to restore him. Treat him as a brother according to Galatians 6:1-2.
C. Keep unity in the church, Ephesians 4:2-3.
D. Commit the pastor to God’s discipline and judgment. God does discipline His erring prophets:
- 1 Corinthians 9:27–They become castaways.
- James 3:1–They come under God’s judgment.
- 1 Samuel 26:8-11–David said that God would deal with Saul: God may “smite him,” he may “die,” or he may perish in “battle.”
Anytime a rupture in the relationship of the pastor and people takes place, the fellowship of the church will disintegrate. Both pastor and people must give attention to building a good relationship. This is one of the primary ingredients of building a great fellowship in the church.