Honoring the Ministry of Your Pastor
Your pastor is your shepherd, appointed by the Holy Spirit to guide and nurture the church. He has a ministry to do with you.
Acts 20:28 reminds us to “take care and be on guard for yourselves and the whole flock over which the Holy Spirit has appointed you bishops and guardians, to shepherd the church of the Lord, which He obtained for Himself with His own blood” (AMP).
Your pastor’s ministry is a divine calling, and it’s important to recognize and honor his role in your spiritual journey.
Your Pastor as a Teacher and Preacher
Your pastor is both a teacher and preacher, using these gifts to help perfect you in Christ.
Colossians 1:27-28 says, “To them God willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles: which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Him we preach, warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus.”
Your Pastor as a Watchful Shepherd
He watches over you. The shepherd watches the flock. Your Pastor can only do this if you willingly permit him. This watching of the sheep is both spiritual and physical. The secretive and pretending sheep will not submit to the pastors watch.
Hebrews 13:17 advises, “Obey your spiritual leaders and submit to them, for they are constantly keeping watch over your souls and guarding your spiritual welfare as men who will have to render an account. Let them do this with gladness and not with sighing and groaning, for that would not be profitable to you” (AMP).
Remember, a pastor cannot force his care upon an unwilling sheep.
Your Pastor as a Trainer for Ministry
Your Pastor is your trainer, to do ministry. You belong to the local church like ours to be trained to do ministry under the watch of your Pastor.
Eph.4.11 filled earth with his gifts. He handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher (MSB)
Eph.4.12 to train Christians in skilled servant work, working within Christ’s body, the church, (MSB)
Eph.4.13 until we’re all moving rhythmically and easily with each other, efficient and graceful in response to God’s Son, fully mature adults, fully developed within and without, fully alive like Christ. No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. (MSB)
Eph.4.14 No prolonged infancies among us, please. We’ll not tolerate babes in the woods, small children who are an easy mark for impostors. (MSB)
Eph.4.15 God wants us to grow up, to know the whole truth and tell it in love–like Christ in everything. We take our lead from Christ, who is the source of everything we do. (MSB).
Your Pastor as a Model of Faith
Your pastor is a living example of faith and a model for your spiritual walk. He is your model of faith and manner of life.
Heb.13.7 Remember your leaders and superiors in authority [for it was they] who brought to you the Word of God. Observe attentively and consider their manner of living (the outcome of their well-spent lives) and imitate their faith (their conviction that God exists and is the Creator and Ruler of all things, the Provider and Bestower of eternal salvation through Christ, and their leaning of the entire human personality on God in absolute trust and confidence in His power, wisdom, and goodness). (AMP)
Similarly,
2Tim.3.10 – But you have carefully followed my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, faith, longsuffering, love, perseverance
Your Pastor is an open book to be read and followed. His teaching must be ready in you. Let his faith life and conviction as in Christ be a model to your faith walk. You imitate or follow as he follows Christ. He is the path Christ has made for easy following of Him.
1Cor.11.1 Pattern yourselves after me [follow my example], as I imitate and follow Christ (the Messiah). (AMP)
Now to honor your Pastor’s ministry is to willingly give room for his word to be glorified in you. And to be the agent of making same word glorified in other people.
2 Thessalonians 3:1 says, “Finally, dear brothers and sisters, I ask you to pray for us. Pray first that the Lord’s message will spread rapidly and be honored wherever it goes, just as when it came to you” (NLT).
Practical Steps to Honor Your Pastor:
- Attend and Engage: To achieve this, you should sit where your pastor is teaching, attentively listening and fully engaging with his words. Make a deliberate effort to learn, understand, and apply his teachings in your life. This is the most important step in honoring his ministry.
Luke 10:39-42
Her sister, Mary, sat at the Lord’s feet, listening to what he taught. But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”(NLT). - Transfer the Teaching: Become an agent of spreading your pastor’s teachings to others, ensuring that the message runs swiftly and is glorified in others as it is in you
2 Timothy 2:2
And the [instructions] which you have heard from me along with many witnesses, transmit and entrust [as a deposit] to reliable and faithful men who will be competent and qualified to teach others also.(AMP)Hebrews 5:11-13
of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the first principles of the oracles of God; and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, for he is a babe.(NKJV)You give yourself to honor the system of growth under your Pastor to honor him. And be a useful tool in his hand to propagate the gospel.
Supporting Your Pastor
The greatest honor you can give to your pastor’s ministry is to stick out your neck for him. In his absence, you should ensure that his presence is felt and his teachings are respected. When he is present, you should actively support and uphold the godly reverence of his words and instructions.
Philippians 2:20-22
For I have no one like him [no one of so kindred a spirit] who will be so genuinely interested in your welfare and devoted to your interests. For the others all seek [to advance] their own interests, not those of Jesus Christ (the Messiah). But Timothy’s tested worth you know, how as a son with his father he has toiled with me zealously in [serving and helping to advance] the good news (the Gospel).(AMP)
Philippians 2:20-22 speaks of Timothy’s devotion, highlighting the importance of being a genuine supporter of your pastor’s ministry.
Conversely, the greatest dishonor you can give to your pastor is to purposefully or pretentiously withdraw from the ministry. Treating the work of the ministry as irrelevant or unimportant is a serious act of unfaithfulness that can lead to the death of the ministry. Your pastor will work diligently to prevent this negative attitude from spreading and contaminating the commitment and service of other disciples.
Proverbs 25:19 warns that “confidence in an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a bad tooth and a foot out of joint” (NKJV).
Honor the ministry of your pastor by partnering with him.
- Use your wisdom, skills, talents, and gifts: Apply your God-given abilities to support and enhance the ministry.
- Leverage your influence and personality in society: Utilize your social connections and influence to advance the work of the ministry.
- Contribute financially: Your financial support is crucial, as it enables the ministry to achieve things that prayer and preaching alone cannot accomplish.
- Show compassion and empathy: Engage in the ministry with a heart full of compassion, following the example of serving others with love and care. This is known as the labor of love
I call you blessed.