With the growing number of New Testament churhes in need of pastor I have to aks the question, "Where are God's men?"
Is God not calling men to pastor New Testament churhes? Does God not see the great need for pastors? Are God's men just not answering the call?
Along with pastoring a New Testament church comes responsibility. Is the responsibilty of being held accountable by God for the teaching and leadership of His church to great a burden for some? I judge not men's motives or actions, but WHERE are God's Pastors?
New Testament churches are in need of men who will dedicate themselves to feeding the flock of God and leading them as he is led by the Holy Spirit.
The shortage of pastors is not God's fault. God knows the need, and according to His promisses to His church, He will supply her with her needs. God is calling but men are not answering. Men are not fully committing themselves to God's calling. It is more than announcing a call. It is more than preaching a message every now and then. To fully answer God's call is to dedicate oneself to the gospel ministry. This dedication involves study, further education and also pastoring a local New Testament church.
If a man desire the office of a bishop...what a great desire God gives His men. What has happened to that desire?
God calls men to pastor New Testament churches. I ask, "Where are God's men?"
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I agree that God is still calling and men are not answering.
ReplyDeleteWith that being said you stated, "To fully answer God's call is to dedicate oneself to the gospel ministry. This dedication involves study, further education and also pastoring a local New Testament church."
I feel that you are misinterpreting Paul's words in I Timothy concerning desire. God is not the one who gives that desire at the point of calling a man to preach. The Bible is clear that it is the "man" that desires that office.
Somewhere we began to believe that every man God calls to preach He also calls to pastor. This is not found anywhere in the Bible. Paul didnt pastor a single Church in His ministry and as far as I can tell John is the only one of the disciples, save James, who pastored a Church.
At some point, if the Lord tarries, my voice will give out, your old wrestling wounds from hard bumps and Mikes overuse of his brain will cause all of us to not be able to fulfill the needs of the people we pastor and our ministries will change.
WE will do pulpit supply for young wipper snappers so they can take vacations, we will fill in as interim pastors, you may dedicate yourself to being the traveling preacher for WWE, who knows.
For some young men their ministry is different earlier. They dont have that desire as of yet, like we do, to pastor the Lord's Churches. They will, when God gets a hold of them. We just need to pray for them and ask God to keep calling more men into the ministry.
Bro...we need to just preach it hard, preach at hot and preach it holy! MAybe we could pastor more than one Church at a time if we needed too.
Big J,
ReplyDeleteConcerning "preach it hard, preach it hot, and preach it holy" that's alliteration at its finest Bro!! :)
Bro. Joey, Good to hear from you.
Surely there are men who are not answering the call and surely there are men who are not extending their call to pastor one of the Lord's churches. But let me interject a wrinkle here and hopefully not ruffle too many feathers.
Is it the Lord's will that there are multiple churches in towns or cities, especially small ones? Some small East Texas towns have 2 to 10 ABA churches (pastors) within a few miles of each other) Granted, each one thinks they are scriptural, each one perhaps has a purpose and ministers to people in different ways...
but remember when Paul wrote "I have strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation..."
So maybe in addition to men not answering the call, perhaps some men do not have the missionary spirit (or the courage maybe) to go out, branch out, etc. I sometimes wonder that about myself.
Amen Brother Grappe. I am thoroughly convinced if all the people God was calling would submit themselves to God's perfect will, we'd have multiple pastors at every church (call them associates or whatever you may) in every church that is in God's will to receive His blessings, and we would still have many preachers left over studying and preparing.
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ReplyDeleteAmen my close friend and brother. I have read all post and agree with SOME statements on all. If we look at some reasons some churches do not have a pastor we could come up with many different reasons.
ReplyDeleteWith that said it is my earnest prayer each and every day for Gods true ministers that he has called to pastor His churches to step up and do just that. Gods churches need a pastor, an under shepherd. They need someone leading them into the furtherance of Gods graces. Churches with at a pastor is in serious spiritual danger.
Maybe the young men and boys in our congregations need to know what an honor and privilege it is to be in the ministry. They certainly know about the hardships and struggles. We are sure of that!
ReplyDeleteI will regret saying this, but wise words Brother Mike. ;-) I never really thought of how negative we often make the ministry out to be by often speaking of the hardships and not the honor and privilege it is to pastor Gods people. Thanks for the post.
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