{"id":4471,"date":"2019-02-28T08:24:07","date_gmt":"2019-02-28T14:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nafwb.org\/?p=4471"},"modified":"2019-02-28T08:24:07","modified_gmt":"2019-02-28T14:24:07","slug":"portrait-of-a-pastor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/portrait-of-a-pastor\/","title":{"rendered":"Portrait of a Pastor"},"content":{"rendered":"

By William J. Mishler<\/strong><\/p>\n

Jeremiah watched the spiritual\u00a0decline of his people and nation,\u00a0especially the collapse of their\u00a0religious observances and temple worship.\u00a0Then God spoke, \u201cAnd I will give\u00a0you pastors according to mine heart,\u00a0which shall feed you with knowledge\u00a0and understanding\u201d (Jeremiah 3:15).\u00a0Likewise, God spoke to Ezekiel, Daniel,\u00a0Malachi and other priests and prophets.<\/p>\n

All God’s warnings, dissatisfactions\u00a0and judgments point to those men\u00a0responsible for shepherding the people\u00a0and nation, particularly in their spiritual\u00a0relationship and worship. “Woe be unto\u00a0the shepherds that destroy and scatter\u00a0the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord\u201d\u00a0(Jeremiah 23:1).<\/p>\n

Who were those men that God made\u00a0responsible for spiritual leadership and\u00a0worship among His people?It was said\u00a0of John the Baptist, \u201cThere was a man\u00a0sent from God, whose name was John.\u00a0The same came for a witness, to bear\u00a0witness of the Light, that all men\u00a0through him might believe. He was not\u00a0that Light, but was sent to bear witness\u00a0of that Light (John 1:6-8). Let’s examine\u00a0three specifics about John the\u00a0Baptist.<\/p>\n

First, he’s called a man, not an angel\u00a0or a supernatural being, but an earthborn creature with fleshly shortcomings.\u00a0Second, he was “sent from God,\u201d that\u00a0is, a man specifically chosen by the\u00a0Lord. Third, he came “to bear witness\u00a0of the light.” John’s primary purpose in\u00a0life was to preach about Jesus.<\/p>\n

These same three qualities characterize\u00a0every gospel preacher today. Paul\u00a0asked the early Jewish Christians, \u201cAnd\u00a0how shall they preach, except they be\u00a0sent?…\u201d (Romans 10:15a). He told the\u00a0church at Corinth, “Even so hath the\u00a0lord ordained that they which preach\u00a0the gospel should live of the gospel (I\u00a0Corinthians 9:14).The men were called\u00a0by God to do a specific service.<\/p>\n

But what about their call\u2014these men\u00a0sent from God, these pastor-teachers,\u00a0shepherds, elders who feed the flock?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m a pastor, sent from God, not by\u00a0my choice, but because God called me.\u00a0This call is distinct from other church\u00a0tasks clustered under the ministerial\u00a0umbrella.<\/p>\n

Dr. J. Vemon Jacobs, in his book Ten\u00a0Steps to Leadership<\/em>says, \u201cA call is seeing\u00a0a need and having the ability to\u00a0meet that need.\u201d Sir Wilfred Grenfell\u00a0says, “Christ’s call was to follow Him, not\u00a0recognize, much less to comprehend\u00a0Him.”<\/p>\n

While these statements may fit some\u00a0categories clustered under the\u00a0ministerial umbrella, they deal mainly\u00a0with local church leadership. Paul\u00a0assures the church at Ephesus that God\u00a0calls the pastor-teacher (Ephesians\u00a04:11-12). Mark describes Jesus calling\u00a0His disciples, \u201cAnd straightway he called\u00a0them: and they left their father…and\u00a0went after him\u201d (Mark 1:20).<\/p>\n

The pastoral call defies clear definition\u00a0and precise description. I sense it;\u00a0I feel its inner compulsion, but it’s impossible to state like a mathematical\u00a0equation.<\/p>\n

Here’s my own definition as it applied\u00a0to my call: It was a deep, abiding conviction\u00a0that I could not get away from.\u00a0I had not been involved in an automobile\u00a0accident, had no catastrophic illness\u00a0that brought me close to death, saw no\u00a0vision or message in the sky,\u00a0had no encouragement from home or\u00a0church to enter the ministry. As a young\u00a0Christian I placed my life on the altar\u00a0as best I knew how and told the Lord\u00a0to use me however He could.<\/p>\n

I tried to do various things in my\u00a0home church, but there remained that\u00a0abiding conviction\u2014this is not it. Then,\u00a0one day returning home from work and\u00a0thinking of the lord and His blessings\u00a0in my life, there came that unction from\u00a0above\u2014that’s it! Peace came; the conviction\u00a0left; the burden lifted. A few\u00a0months later I announced my call. From\u00a0that day till now I never doubted my call\u00a0to the ministry.<\/p>\n

God does not call a pastor because\u00a0of academic training, church affiliation,\u00a0family or cultural background. He calls\u00a0men who are justified, sanctified and\u00a0consequently faithful in the Master’s\u00a0work.<\/p>\n

Spurgeon told his students, “Take\u00a0heed, therefore, to yourselves first, that\u00a0you be that which you persuade others\u00a0to be, and believe that which you persuade\u00a0them daily to believe and have\u00a0heartily entertained that Christ and spirit\u00a0which you offer to others.\u201d<\/p>\n

The call is not only a summons to\u00a0service, but also a call to preparation.\u00a0This must not be overlooked by that\u00a0“man sent from God.”<\/p>\n

What about the preacher’s responsibilities?\u00a0Just as sure as atoms hold the\u00a0secret of power in this physical universe,\u00a0preaching holds the secret of power in\u00a0the spiritual world about us. (See I\u00a0Corinthians 9:16; Isaiah 61:1; I Peter\u00a05:1-3.)<\/p>\n

The symbolism comparing a pastor\u00a0to a shepherd surfaces frequently in the\u00a0scriptures. Sheep are the most helpless\u00a0and defenseless of all domesticated\u00a0animals. Without a shepherd, they’re at\u00a0the mercy of predatory animals and\u00a0stray dogs.<\/p>\n

Just as sheep need constant watchfulness\u00a0and care from the shepherd, the\u00a0pastor lives in close proximity to his\u00a0flock where he ministers. He cultivates\u00a0the cold and indifferent, comforts those\u00a0who sorrow, cheers the sick, rejoices\u00a0with those who rejoice, and weeps with\u00a0those who weep. He brings back the\u00a0straying, rebukes the erring, marries the\u00a0young, buries the dead, ministers to the\u00a0destitute, and preaches the gospel with\u00a0longsuffering and patience.<\/p>\n

His spiritual sheep must be fed in\u00a0green pastures and led beside still\u00a0waters. They need their wounds bathed\u00a0in the fragrant oil of the Holy Spirit.\u00a0Above all, they must be sheared\u00a0tenderly, lovingly, but regularly. The\u00a0good shepherd still gives his life for the\u00a0sheep.<\/p>\n

Jesus told Peter, “Feed my\u00a0lambs…feed my sheep.” Every healthy\u00a0flock contains lambs and every good\u00a0shepherd keeps his eye on their special\u00a0needs. The biblical picture of the Great\u00a0Shepherd in Isaiah 40:11 tells of His\u00a0wonderful tenderness, “…He shall\u00a0gather the lambs with his arm, and carry\u00a0them in his bosom…\u201d<\/p>\n

Donald Gee speaks of the passionate\u00a0love for the flock of God which the\u00a0pastoral office demands. He says that\u00a0while we’ve heard much of a passion for<\/em>souls, we sometimes think an equally\u00a0needed and priceless gift is a passion\u00a0over<\/em>souls\u2014a godly care which yearns\u00a0and pleads and agonizes that every man\u00a0may be presented perfect in Jesus\u00a0Christ.<\/p>\n

Paul touched the keynote of the true\u00a0pastor’s heart when he said, \u201cFor though\u00a0ye have ten thousand instructors in\u00a0Christ, yet have ye not many fathers\u00a0[pastors]…”(l Corinthians 4:15). Incidentally,\u00a0this passage reveals the fact that\u00a0a teacher is not always a pastor.<\/p>\n

Some teachers are as illuminating as\u00a0an electric light…and nearly as cold! The\u00a0calling makes the difference. It’s the\u00a0spiritual fathers (pastors) that are missing\u00a0in many pulpits today. We must\u00a0have them if we expect our churches to\u00a0produce preachers, missionaries and\u00a0Christian workers.<\/p>\n

The pastor is also chief administrative\u00a0officer. He sees to it that others of his\u00a0flock have ample opportunity to help\u00a0perform church tasks. He remembers\u00a0that he’s a man with human limitations.\u00a0Someone well said, “Blessed is that pastor\u00a0who early in his ministry finds out\u00a0he does not have the answers to all of\u00a0his church problems, business and\u00a0finances.”<\/p>\n

The pastor is theologian, administrator\u00a0and divinely-appointed shepherd\u00a0over the flock. How I pray that God will\u00a0do for our dear pastors what He did for\u00a0Elijah in the cave. He gave the prophet\u00a0a new revelation and a new commission.\u00a0We never hear of him going back\u00a0to the juniper tree or to the cave.<\/p>\n

When Jesus appeared at the Sea of\u00a0Tiberias, He took pains to instruct\u00a0Peter\u2014lovingly, tenderly and compassionately\u2014that he must lay aside his\u00a0nets and boats and fish for men.\u00a0“Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me\u00a0more than these?”<\/p>\n

It’s still a burning question. Pastor, do\u00a0you “love me” more than that job, that\u00a0house or that family? The call echoes\u00a0across the mountains, the valleys, the\u00a0plains and the asphalt jungles. What will\u00a0you do about it?<\/p>\n

Don Reiber said it for me: \u201cAs a Pastor\u00a0I may not enjoy the prestige administrators\u00a0enjoy, nor have the aura of\u00a0glamour that clings to evangelists. Yet my\u00a0task is more important than either. In\u00a0fact, of all the positions on God’s team,\u00a0mine is the most important.”<\/p>\n

Article adapted from Contact <\/em>magazine, August 1987.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By William J. Mishler Jeremiah watched the spiritual\u00a0decline of his people and nation,\u00a0especially the collapse of their\u00a0religious observances and temple worship.\u00a0Then God spoke, \u201cAnd I will give\u00a0you pastors according to mine heart,\u00a0which shall feed you with knowledge\u00a0and understanding\u201d (Jeremiah 3:15).\u00a0Likewise, God spoke to Ezekiel, Daniel,\u00a0Malachi and other priests and prophets. All God’s warnings, dissatisfactions\u00a0and judgments point to those men\u00a0responsible for shepherding the people\u00a0and nation, particularly in their spiritual\u00a0relationship and worship. “Woe be unto\u00a0the shepherds that destroy and scatter\u00a0the sheep of my pasture! saith the Lord\u201d\u00a0(Jeremiah 23:1). Who were those men that God made\u00a0responsible for spiritual leadership and\u00a0worship among His people?It was said\u00a0of John the Baptist, \u201cThere was a man\u00a0sent from God, whose name was John.\u00a0The same came for a witness, to bear\u00a0witness of the Light, that all men\u00a0through him might believe. He was not\u00a0that Light, but was sent to bear witness\u00a0of that Light (John 1:6-8). Let’s examine\u00a0three specifics about John the\u00a0Baptist. First, he’s called a man, not an angel\u00a0or a supernatural being, but an earthborn creature with fleshly shortcomings.\u00a0Second, he was “sent from God,\u201d that\u00a0is, a man specifically chosen by the\u00a0Lord. Third, he came “to bear witness\u00a0of the light.” John’s primary purpose in\u00a0life was to preach about Jesus. These same […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-pastors"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4471"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4472,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4471\/revisions\/4472"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4471"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4471"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nafwb.org\/site\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4471"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}