True Pastors are True Blessings

(Originally published on The Wheaton Record on November 4th, 2020)

Anyone can compromise Christian doctrines in order to amass a giant congregation, but it shows real character when a pastor refuses to stop preaching the gospel and caring for souls in the face of opposition. Here I’ll highlight some attributes of a God-fearing pastor and hopefully shed some light on the nature of this high calling.

The Bible directs these men to “shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2-3). As a pastor shepherds, he should seek to reflect the character of the “chief Shepherd,” Jesus Christ, who laid down his life for the sheep. We see this same shepherd language in Acts 20, where Paul instructs the Ephesian elders to “[p]ay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.” We see that part of being a shepherd is to lovingly care for and lead the precious blood-bought flock they are called to oversee.

Paul warns that “fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” A pastor must disciple and feed the flock through preaching, prayer, counseling and administering the sacraments. Yet he must also fight away the wolves by preaching against sin, error and false teachers. One of the Reformers said that pastors “ought to have two voices: one, for gathering the sheep; and another, for warding off and driving away wolves and thieves. The Scripture supplies him with the means of doing both.”

James warns that “[n]ot many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with a greater strictness” (James 3:1). Pastors must examine themselves closely, for there are few things more ugly and dangerous than pulpit hypocrisy. Paul admonished Timothy: “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching” (1 Tim. 4:16). He’s emphasizing the importance of our character, and of our doctrine. Pastors are to always be “rightly handling the word of truth” and truly “able to teach others” (2 Tim. 2:15, 2:2). Pastors should always keep an eye on how they are leading through their words and their lives “as those who will have to give an account” (Heb. 13:17). In the Scriptures, pastoral ministry is presented as a glorious yet deadly serious calling that is not to be pursued casually. As someone who is considering a life in pastoral ministry, I’m sobered by the thought of someday standing before the Lord and answering for how I shepherded my local congregation. It would be a solemn thing to look at the coffins of former congregants at their funerals, knowing I will have to give an account for those very souls. It’s a daunting task. Nobody should pursue it without consideration of these serious realities.

I haven’t concluded the job description, however. Pastors will receive persecution throughout their lives, and probably the brunt of the persecution for their entire church. Pastors will have instances where members commit serious sins against others which must be addressed. They will often be underpaid, (which we should do all we can to prevent through generous tithing from a cheerful heart). They will receive constant criticism for their preaching, regardless of its quality. They are not only charged with the care of the souls in their flock, but they also are obligated not to neglect their own souls or their families’ souls. They will live lives under constant scrutiny from outsiders and insiders alike. They will be disrespected and will likely be looked down upon as useless members of society by people both in and outside of the church.

This is not an easy calling. This is war. Yet the eyes of an under-shepherd are not to be on their own comfort and safety, but rather on the “Chief Shepherd.” And if they follow through, when he appears, they “will receive the unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:4). Indeed, “those who turn many to righteousness,” Daniel 12:3 encourages us, “[will shine] like the stars forever and ever.”

If you have taken your pastors for granted, repent and thank the Lord for them. If you have been merely a hearer of the word and not a doer, repent and “be subject to the elders” (1 Peter 5:5), not merely listening to God’s word, but obeying, for we must “not refuse Him who is speaking” (Hebrews 12:25).

If you have failed to pray for your pastor, you should probably start doing so, along with your other elders. George Whitefield once put it, “Many perhaps deserve bad ministers, because perhaps you do not pray for them; pray, says Christ, pray to the Lord of the Harvest, that he may send laborers into his harvest.”

Finally, a word to those interested in being pastors: be prepared to die. Are you willing to be crucified for the sake of your crucified and risen Lord? Like Paul, you must be “ready not only to be imprisoned but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 21:13).