On April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit a North Atlantic iceberg late into the night and sank to the ocean floor less than three hours later. The insidious thing about icebergs is that 90% of their mass sits below the surface, and if they were ever to roll over, can cause a tsunami. Their potential for causing damage is cataclysmic. The same is true regarding the motivations of a pastor’s heart. Evil motives will lead to evil behavior. Conversely, godly motives will lead to godly behavior. That is Jesus’ point in Matthew 7:15-20:
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
The point is this, our motives matter. We can all look back on our start in the pastorate and recall that we began the work with the greatest of intentions and motivations. But what about now? What about after that last elder meeting where your chairman of the board pushed back on one of your new ideas? What about after that most recent sermon where two separate people took issue with your interpretation of the Scripture? Or after you got word that a couple you have been pouring yourself into decided to get a divorce?
The motivations of our heart can turn ugly if we aren’t diligent in guarding it (Prov. 4:23). For more information on the sinful motivations that the New Testament warns pastor against, see my previous article, “How to Recognize a Bad Pastor.” Below are four motivations that the New Testament calls pastors to have and are worth revisiting as you evaluate whether your heart’s motivations are drifting toward danger.
The first question is, “Am I motivated to lead God’s people?” Indeed, some days you will be more tempted to throw in the towel and answer this question with a “hard pass.” Mondays are probably the wrong day of the week to ask this question. But as you look at these two verses, they call for a pastor with a “desire” and an “eagerness” to lead. It’s reasonable to get away from the business and the up-and-down emotions that surround leading the church and to honestly evaluate whether you eagerly desire to lead your church to be like Christ. Do you eagerly desire to shepherd the people of God toward godliness through your preaching, teaching, leading worship, facilitating small groups, and discipling individuals and couples through sin, suffering, and conflict?
The second question relates closely to the first but aims at your heart for those outside the church. You must ask, “Do I desire the lost to come to faith?” In his instructions to Timothy, a young pastor, Paul makes it clear that engaging the lost is a part of the gig. Not only that, but the interactions may get hostile at times, and a pastor should be ready for those attacks so that he doesn’t react harshly and foolishly. But to what end? To see that lost person come to faith in Christ and be free from the “snare of the devil.” The implication here is that a pastor should care about the eternal state of the lost person and be willing to endure hostility as he proclaims truth in love because “God may perhaps grant them repentance.” Do you desire the lost to come to faith? You can gauge that by your willingness to spend time with them, speak truth lovingly to them, and patiently endure evil from them.
The third question may seem a bit obligatory, but it should be addressed. Ask yourself, “Do you love what is good?” In Paul’s letter to Titus, where he addresses the qualifications of elders, he tells Titus to appoint elders who are “lover of good.” They are motivated by seeing and bringing about the things that God has defined as good. Thus, they are not driven by personal praise, material gratification, or jealousy like those religious leaders whom Jesus rebuked on numerous occasions. They are about God’s kingdom, not their own. Loving good means defining goodness by God’s standards and going after it, being thankful for it, and leading others to it. Whether that is living out the One-anothers, the Beattitudes, evangelizing, discipling, or offering pastoral care, loving good stands in stark contrast to pastors who are motivated by selfish desires. This motivation is one to take inventory regularly, both for ourselves and for those who serve alongside us in pastoral ministry.
The fourth question is a bit more elusive, but you must ask, “Does my ministry reflect a commitment to Scripture?” Indeed, we all want our ministries to be “biblical,” but what does that mean? Paul tells Titus that aspiring pastors must “hold firm to the trustworthy word.” They are committed to the word so that they can turn around and proclaim it. If pastors are stepping into the pulpit and proclaiming their personal opinions, preferences, or popular opinions of the day rather than the word of God, they need to revisit their commitment to Scripture. If your discipleship ministry has become more of a social check-in or a series of updates on shared interests and not a reflection on Scripture and its application to life, you need to revisit your commitment to Scripture and its purpose in your ministry. Remember the words in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
God’s word is what changes hearts, and a pastor’s commitment to it should be absolute. Our personal experiences and opinions are vast and meaningful to us, but God’s word is constant and true and should be what we offer to those we minister to first, last, and always.
The post What Makes a Good Pastor? (Foundations of a Faithful Pastor) appeared first on Focus on the Family.
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"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."
The point is this, our motives matter. We can all look back on our start in the pastorate and recall that we began the work with the greatest of intentions and motivations. But what about now? What about after that last elder meeting where your chairman of the board pushed back on one of your new ideas? What about after that most recent sermon where two separate people took issue with your interpretation of the Scripture? Or after you got word that a couple you have been pouring yourself into decided to get a divorce?
The motivations of our heart can turn ugly if we aren’t diligent in guarding it (Prov. 4:23). For more information on the sinful motivations that the New Testament warns pastor against, see my previous article, “How to Recognize a Bad Pastor.” Below are four motivations that the New Testament calls pastors to have and are worth revisiting as you evaluate whether your heart’s motivations are drifting toward danger.
4 Motives of a Faithful Pastor
1. Eagerly Desires to Lead God’s People (1 Tim 3:1, 1 Pet 5:2)
The first question is, “Am I motivated to lead God’s people?” Indeed, some days you will be more tempted to throw in the towel and answer this question with a “hard pass.” Mondays are probably the wrong day of the week to ask this question. But as you look at these two verses, they call for a pastor with a “desire” and an “eagerness” to lead. It’s reasonable to get away from the business and the up-and-down emotions that surround leading the church and to honestly evaluate whether you eagerly desire to lead your church to be like Christ. Do you eagerly desire to shepherd the people of God toward godliness through your preaching, teaching, leading worship, facilitating small groups, and discipling individuals and couples through sin, suffering, and conflict?
2. Desires the Lost to Come to Faith (2 Tim. 2:24-26)
The second question relates closely to the first but aims at your heart for those outside the church. You must ask, “Do I desire the lost to come to faith?” In his instructions to Timothy, a young pastor, Paul makes it clear that engaging the lost is a part of the gig. Not only that, but the interactions may get hostile at times, and a pastor should be ready for those attacks so that he doesn’t react harshly and foolishly. But to what end? To see that lost person come to faith in Christ and be free from the “snare of the devil.” The implication here is that a pastor should care about the eternal state of the lost person and be willing to endure hostility as he proclaims truth in love because “God may perhaps grant them repentance.” Do you desire the lost to come to faith? You can gauge that by your willingness to spend time with them, speak truth lovingly to them, and patiently endure evil from them.
3. Loves What is Good (Titus 1:8)
The third question may seem a bit obligatory, but it should be addressed. Ask yourself, “Do you love what is good?” In Paul’s letter to Titus, where he addresses the qualifications of elders, he tells Titus to appoint elders who are “lover
4. Commitment to Scripture (Titus 1:9)
The fourth question is a bit more elusive, but you must ask, “Does my ministry reflect a commitment to Scripture?” Indeed, we all want our ministries to be “biblical,” but what does that mean? Paul tells Titus that aspiring pastors must “hold firm to the trustworthy word.” They are committed to the word so that they can turn around and proclaim it. If pastors are stepping into the pulpit and proclaiming their personal opinions, preferences, or popular opinions of the day rather than the word of God, they need to revisit their commitment to Scripture. If your discipleship ministry has become more of a social check-in or a series of updates on shared interests and not a reflection on Scripture and its application to life, you need to revisit your commitment to Scripture and its purpose in your ministry. Remember the words in 2 Timothy 3:16-17:
"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
God’s word is what changes hearts, and a pastor’s commitment to it should be absolute. Our personal experiences and opinions are vast and meaningful to us, but God’s word is constant and true and should be what we offer to those we minister to first, last, and always.
The post What Makes a Good Pastor? (Foundations of a Faithful Pastor) appeared first on Focus on the Family.
Continue reading...