Many churches make a point of setting the month of October aside to encourage their pastors. That’s a good impulse that accords with the instructions given to churches in the New Testament (Hebrews 13:7, I Timothy 5:17, I Thessalonians 5:12-13). However, not all pastors feel appreciated, and not all congregations take seriously the scriptural command to make their pastor’s work joyful (Hebrews 13:17). If this happens to you, it’s important for you to keep in mind the ultimate appreciation God promises to pastors.
Keep in mind, even a minister as gifted and fruitful as the apostle Paul dealt with discouragement and a lack of appreciation from the churches he served, having to endure slander, opposition, and mistrust from the very people who most benefitted from his sacrificial ministry (e.g., I Corinthians 4:18-21, II Corinthians 1:23-2:4).
Feeling unappreciated can make pastoral ministry more difficult than it already it is. It is hard to serve and sacrifice joyfully for people who seem indifferent or even hostile to your ministry. As much as we might not want to admit it, the noxious weeds of self-pity, bitterness, and resentment flourish in the soil of such an environment. In the end, we all thrive best in an environment where our work is valued and our efforts recognized.
So, what can pastors do if that appreciation is lacking from the church that they serve? Let me suggest two things to remember:
One reason churches might fail to appreciate their pastor is the apparent lack of success in his ministry. Perhaps the pastor was hired by a small church in the hope of growing attendance on Sunday mornings, but it just hasn’t happened. Perhaps he was called by an older congregation in the hopes that he would bring more young people in, but they haven’t materialized. Perhaps he was brought on by a church that was anxious to see more people come to Christ, but the community has remained largely indifferent to the gospel. Or perhaps he has served the same flock for a long time, overseeing an extended season of numeric and spiritual decline in the congregation.
In such cases, it might be easy to understand why a church might fail to appreciate their pastor. After all, we don’t go out of our way to acknowledge the coach of a baseball team who loses more games each year, or the CEO of a company who sees declining profits. But pastoral work is not a results-oriented business in the same way many other things in our society are.
The apostle Paul explains the nature of gospel work to the church in Corinth in this way:
No pastor has the power to cause spiritual growth in his church. His work is to “plant” and “water.” In the context of the letter, this is clearly proclaiming the gospel message of “Christ and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2), but only God can cause it to spring up. In the end, the pastor who toils in the fields of the church will be appreciated by God (“receive his wages”) based not on his success or the visible fruit of his ministry, but “according to his labor.”
Paul’s relationship with the church at Corinth was complicated. It’s safe to say they weren’t setting aside a month to express appreciation for his ministry among them. In fact, many in the congregation looked down on him, found fault with him, and found his work lacking. But ultimately, their criticisms didn’t discourage Paul from pressing on:
It ultimately doesn’t matter very much what a pastor’s congregation thinks of him. They might appreciate him, or they might judge him harshly. Obviously, we’d all prefer the former to the latter, but Paul reminds us that the only thing that matters in the end is the truth that will be revealed when the Lord Jesus returns and shines a spotlight on everything that has taken place. At that point, Paul is confident that all those who have faithfully labored for the sake of the gospel will receive their “commendation from God.”
That brings us to the second thing for pastors to remember, and that is the fact that God himself promises to graciously reward those who serve him faithfully. Peter writes to the elders of the churches:
Think of everything God has given to us in Christ: adoption into his family, forgiveness of our sin, a glorious inheritance, a new spiritual life that will carry on to eternity in a glorified body in his presence in a world made new. In considering those gifts he wanted pastors to serve him diligently and faithfully for a few decades, we would still think him incredibly gracious and generous. But he is even more generous than that—he wants to shower us with appreciation and rewards on the last day!
What an incredible promise we see in these verses. I’m not exactly sure what an “unfading crown of glory” is, but I’m confident that it’s far better than any greeting card I’ve received for Pastor Appreciation Month. If I had to choose, I’d go with the crown of glory every time.
In the end, Peter is showing us that pastors must not live for the approval and appreciation of their congregations. The approval of people is too small and fickle a thing—there is only one judge who matters, and only one reward worth pursuing with your life’s work. In eternity, there will be no unappreciated pastors. Whatever your congregation lacks in appreciation of you now will be more than made up for when you receive the Lord’s commendation.
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Keep in mind, even a minister as gifted and fruitful as the apostle Paul dealt with discouragement and a lack of appreciation from the churches he served, having to endure slander, opposition, and mistrust from the very people who most benefitted from his sacrificial ministry (e.g., I Corinthians 4:18-21, II Corinthians 1:23-2:4).
Feeling unappreciated can make pastoral ministry more difficult than it already it is. It is hard to serve and sacrifice joyfully for people who seem indifferent or even hostile to your ministry. As much as we might not want to admit it, the noxious weeds of self-pity, bitterness, and resentment flourish in the soil of such an environment. In the end, we all thrive best in an environment where our work is valued and our efforts recognized.
So, what can pastors do if that appreciation is lacking from the church that they serve? Let me suggest two things to remember:
1. The pastor’s call is to faithfulness, not worldly success
One reason churches might fail to appreciate their pastor is the apparent lack of success in his ministry. Perhaps the pastor was hired by a small church in the hope of growing attendance on Sunday mornings, but it just hasn’t happened. Perhaps he was called by an older congregation in the hopes that he would bring more young people in, but they haven’t materialized. Perhaps he was brought on by a church that was anxious to see more people come to Christ, but the community has remained largely indifferent to the gospel. Or perhaps he has served the same flock for a long time, overseeing an extended season of numeric and spiritual decline in the congregation.
In such cases, it might be easy to understand why a church might fail to appreciate their pastor. After all, we don’t go out of our way to acknowledge the coach of a baseball team who loses more games each year, or the CEO of a company who sees declining profits. But pastoral work is not a results-oriented business in the same way many other things in our society are.
What happened in Corinth?
The apostle Paul explains the nature of gospel work to the church in Corinth in this way:
No pastor has the power to cause spiritual growth in his church. His work is to “plant” and “water.” In the context of the letter, this is clearly proclaiming the gospel message of “Christ and him crucified” (I Corinthians 2:2), but only God can cause it to spring up. In the end, the pastor who toils in the fields of the church will be appreciated by God (“receive his wages”) based not on his success or the visible fruit of his ministry, but “according to his labor.”
Don’t let criticism keep you from pressing on
Paul’s relationship with the church at Corinth was complicated. It’s safe to say they weren’t setting aside a month to express appreciation for his ministry among them. In fact, many in the congregation looked down on him, found fault with him, and found his work lacking. But ultimately, their criticisms didn’t discourage Paul from pressing on:
It ultimately doesn’t matter very much what a pastor’s congregation thinks of him. They might appreciate him, or they might judge him harshly. Obviously, we’d all prefer the former to the latter, but Paul reminds us that the only thing that matters in the end is the truth that will be revealed when the Lord Jesus returns and shines a spotlight on everything that has taken place. At that point, Paul is confident that all those who have faithfully labored for the sake of the gospel will receive their “commendation from God.”
2. The Lord graciously and generously appreciates his servants.
That brings us to the second thing for pastors to remember, and that is the fact that God himself promises to graciously reward those who serve him faithfully. Peter writes to the elders of the churches:
Think of everything God has given to us in Christ: adoption into his family, forgiveness of our sin, a glorious inheritance, a new spiritual life that will carry on to eternity in a glorified body in his presence in a world made new. In considering those gifts he wanted pastors to serve him diligently and faithfully for a few decades, we would still think him incredibly gracious and generous. But he is even more generous than that—he wants to shower us with appreciation and rewards on the last day!
What an incredible promise we see in these verses. I’m not exactly sure what an “unfading crown of glory” is, but I’m confident that it’s far better than any greeting card I’ve received for Pastor Appreciation Month. If I had to choose, I’d go with the crown of glory every time.
It’s not about worldly approval or appreciation
In the end, Peter is showing us that pastors must not live for the approval and appreciation of their congregations. The approval of people is too small and fickle a thing—there is only one judge who matters, and only one reward worth pursuing with your life’s work. In eternity, there will be no unappreciated pastors. Whatever your congregation lacks in appreciation of you now will be more than made up for when you receive the Lord’s commendation.
The post The Ultimate Appreciation God Promises to Pastors appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...