Last Sunday I painted for you a picture of what the Bible describes the local church as being: a family of people who have been established by God as His children, who are growing together in their love relationship with Him and with each other, so that He may conform us to the image of Jesus Christ, achieving His purposes for us and receiving the glory that results from transformed lives that bear testimony to the gospel.
This week we’re going to move on to discuss my role in all of this!
In our induction service last week we explored some of the biblical basis for the role of pastor. We’re going to study this topic in more detail today so that as we move forward together we can do so with a clear understanding of what our roles are in the body to which God has called us. I want you to know what you should be expecting from me as your pastor on the basis of what the bible says not on the basis of what you or I want!
Prayer: Lord God reveal Your truth to us afresh today so that we may know You, Your ways and Your will for us. Work within us by Your Spirit to understand and apply Your Word to our lives.
A Biblical Pattern of Pastoral Ministry
As we come to explore my role as a pastor in the church I want to recognise that I am not the only pastor here! I’m not even talking about Chris and Jethro! The word pastor refers to a shepherd. The word is used of Jesus as the Great Shepherd, who commissioned the Apostle Peter to “Shepherd my sheep” (John 21:16). Peter appeals to Elders of churches in 1 Peter 5:2-4 to likewise “Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3 not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. [1]”
So you can see here a progressive of delegation of the task of Pastoring the church. Jesus Himself is the Great Shepherd, and during His earthly ministry He trained His Apostles to carry on this task in the establishment of the Church. As the Church grew it became necessary for the Apostles to appoint Elders to continue that work of shepherding the diverse congregations of saints. Elders are further able to invite others who are gifted and called to participate in that ministry, however as we will soon see, the responsibility for pastoral ministry in the local church rests with them. The title of Pastor/Elder/Overseer is used interchangeably in the New Testament to refer to the one group of men – the Elders of local churches.
So we see in the New Testament that when the Apostles established local churches in various cities or followed up congregations that had sprung up all over the place as the gospel spread, their pattern was to appoint a team of Elders to pastor those congregations.
We read in Acts 14:23 for example that “Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed them to the Lord, in whom they had put their trust.”
Summary: The word “Pastor” means “Shepherd”
Jesus entrusted the Apostles with shepherding His Church
The Apostles entrusted Elders with shepherding local churches
A Continuing Pattern of Pastoral Ministry
Before we get stuck into looking more closely at the role of an Eldership team and how I fit as a part of that team I need to clarify for you the points of difference between the Apostolic ministry and the ministry of Elders.
The Apostles were men who had been personally trained by Jesus and who knew him from the time of His baptism to His ascension into Heaven (Acts 1:21). This is why the Apostle Paul described himself as one “abnormally born” and the least of the apostles in 1 Corinthians 15, because he was not with Jesus during His earthly ministry and in fact persecuted the early church. However Jesus got a hold of him and personally instructed him in the faith and in ministry before Paul was recognised as an Apostle by Peter and the rest of those in Jerusalem
The reason I need to mention that is that we need to be very clear on the basis upon which Elders/Pastors/Overseers fulfil their ministry in the Church.
Ephesians 2:19-22
19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
I want you to understand that all of us are fellow citizens and family members, being built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, with Jesus Himself as the Chief Cornerstone. What is this foundation that is being talked about here?
Perhaps the best summary is found in…
2 Peter 3:1-2
Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking. 2 I want you to recall the words spoken in the past by the holy prophets and the command given by our Lord and Savior through your apostles.
The foundation that we are being built upon is the truth about Jesus, spoken and recorded for us by the prophets and apostles. In Ephesians, Paul is referring to the apostles and prophets who Christ appointed to teach about Him and train people to be His disciples. In Peter’s letter he is also including the prophets of the past who spoke and wrote the Old Testament scriptures under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. This had been explained a little earlier in…
2 Peter 1:19-21
19 And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
The authority of the Apostles rested in their first hand experience of Jesus. They could teach and model the truth because it had been entrusted to them by Jesus. Their teachings and writings are recorded in the New Testament as the inspired word of God – in that sense they operated as both apostles (sent from God) and prophets (speaking from God).
That is why Paul the Apostle said to Timothy the Pastor/Evangelist “What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us.” (2 Tim. 1:13-14).
Today, the authority of Elders rests in their conformity to the written Word of God. The teachings and example of the Apostles have been preserved for us by the power and grace of God in the form of the New Testament, which follows on from the Old Testament in complete unity and harmony. The foundation of the apostles and prophets is the written Word of God which points us to Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone of the Church.
Paul himself explains this again in 1 Corinthians 3, which I would encourage you to read if you would like to check this subject out further. In this case Paul describes Jesus as the foundation of the Church with Paul as an Apostle as one who lays that foundation by telling people the truth about Jesus. Same idea, but a slightly different way of expressing it.
There is no title that we can give to people in the church today which bestows on them any authority whatsoever, outside of the authority of standing on the Word of God. Whether you want to call people modern-day prophets or apostles, elders, pastors, bishops or popes, the authority in the Church is the Living Word as revealed to us by the Written Word - Jesus Christ, as revealed to us in Scripture.
Summary: The Church is built on the foundation of the “Apostles and Prophets”
Their ministry produced the New Testament, which together with the Old Testament makes up the Canon of the Scriptures.
These Scriptures which testify to Christ are the basis of Church life and pastoral ministry within the Church
The Goal of Pastoral Ministry
With this in mind listen again to the words of Ephesians 4:11-16…
11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Now here’s where I get a little bit excited! Do you notice the goal of this ministry of the Word which is being carried out here? The apostles and prophets have been entrusted with establishing the Church and providing it with authoritative teaching about Jesus which is preserved for us in the Bible, the evangelists have spread that good news, pastors and teachers have helped people to grow in their understanding and obedience to that word. For what purpose has all this been happening and why must it continue to happen?
“12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ”
Do you remember last week we tuned in to Paul’s prayer, just a little earlier on in this letter? He prayed for God to accomplish this very thing through his Spirit dwelling within us. This is the church that we all long for – a community of people who are becoming more and more and more like Jesus!
Every time you receive the ministry of those apostles and prophets by opening your Bible to read it, study it, memorise it, meditate on it – you’re giving the Holy Spirit a chance to prepare you for works of service that will build up the body of Christ to make us more mature, bringing us closer to experiencing the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Every time you receive the ministry of an evangelist, pastor or teacher in sharing God’s Word with you, the Holy Spirit has an opportunity to prepare you for works of service that will build up the body of Christ to make us more mature, bringing us closer to experiencing the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
I’ve been a part of Christian groups where quoting the Bible is seen as terribly “uncool”! I’ve been told that the Bible does not have the answers to every question and every issue that we face in our modern world and in all the complexity of modern relationships. I disagree.
I believe the Bible speaks to every part of the human condition and experience. It might not tell you whether to be a computer programmer or a professional golfer, but it will tell you how to pursue God’s will and honour Him in whatever you do. It will tell you everything you need to know about how to live as a disciple of Christ.
Every sickness that I have ever observed in the body of Christ can find it’s cure in the Bible, all we need to do is accept it and obey it!
2 Timothy 3:1-5
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them.
I have been in churches where some of these words could be used to describe the “in” crowd! I am also very aware that these words could also be used to describe me if not for the grace of God in helping me to overcome sin.
Sometimes people become exasperated and say “Why aren’t our churches doing better?” Maybe one reason is that we’ve allowed too many people to have a form of godliness while denying it’s power. Maybe we’ve been content to have attendees instead of disciples. Maybe we’ve tried to conform to our idea of Christianity instead of being transformed to be like Christ.
Paul goes on to encourage Timothy…
2 Timothy 3:10-17
10 You, however, know all about my teaching, my way of life, my purpose, faith, patience, love, endurance, 11 persecutions, sufferings—what kinds of things happened to me in Antioch, Iconium and Lystra, the persecutions I endured. Yet the Lord rescued me from all of them. 12 In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 13 while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17 so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
I want to be a part of a community where mature Christians are passing on their faith in example and in teaching to those following them on the path of following Jesus. The Elders of the Church are responsible to ensure that this is in fact what is occurring.
The Elders work as a team to make sure that biblical teaching is being provided. To make sure that the good news is being spread. To make sure that the body is functioning the way the Bible teaches it should. Each of us serves according to the gifts and calling that God has given us. We’re all very different, which is what makes for a strong team.
As the early church grew the demands of leadership were growing too heavy for the Apostles. They needed to delegate specific ministry tasks to members of the congregation so that they could concentrate on shepherding the church through prayer and the ministry of the Word (Acts 6:4). As the church continued to grow and spread Elders were appointed to help in that ministry of prayer and the Word. The word Pastor is used interchangeably with the word Elder and Overseer in the New Testament to refer to the same office in the church.
Why do we have Pastors and Elders in Our Church?
In many modern churches the word Pastor is used to identify people who are serving as Elders vocationally (they’re getting paid for it!), and often with a specific ministry area. For example we have children’s pastors, youth pastors, worship pastors, associate pastors with various areas of responsibility, teaching pastors, administrative pastors, senior pastors and so on. Each of these people must be of sufficient character and maturity to perform the pastoral ministry to which they have been entrusted, and they need to have a sense of God’s calling to that specific area of ministry or role in the team.
On the contrary we usually use the word “Elder” to describe someone who voluntarily serves as part of the team that shepherds the church.
To Sum Up
The Goal of Pastoral Ministry is to prepare God’s people for works of service so that the Body of Christ will be built up. Preparing people for works of service is not just about giving people skills to use in service, but about preparing people to love God and others with faith and wisdom which overflows in good works.
I’d really encourage you to spend more time studying God’s Word to get to know the biblical pattern of church leadership and how this ministry is exercised. If you have access to the internet, why not check out some of the teaching I delivered at Narembeen on this subject at the end of last year, which explored the roles of Elders and Deacons and the qualifications required of each group.
Go to: http://www.birchfamily.org/church , click on the “Sermons” link on the left hand side and you’ll find a series of seven messages that you can read, listen to or even watch!
In particular, I’d encourage you to check out the message on the role of Elders, which also spells out in greater detail what I will be focussing on in my role here and what our team of Elders focuses on. I was originally going to preach that message today, but God led me in a different direction!
If you don’t have access to the internet and would like a printed copy of that sermon, please let the church office know and we will make sure we get that done for you.
I’m also aware that I have discussed apostles and prophets today in ways that some people may disagree with and in ways that are very different to what some groups teach. We haven’t explored these subjects very much today because our main subject has been pastoral ministry. Come and talk to me if you’d like to discuss those other gifts some more.
Paul’s prayer in Ephesians 3 was addressed “to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.”
God will do this incredible work through His Spirit at work in our inner being as we discussed last week. He will do that work as we stand on the foundation of the Scriptures, putting them into practice in every single part of our lives. My role as a Pastor is like Paul to pray for the work of God in your life, and also like Paul to minister the Word to give you the foundation you need to live as a disciple of Christ. Don’t expect to grow in your experience of God and your service to God if you are not building your life on the solid ground of God’s truth.
The most famous sermon in history was Jesus’ sermon on the mount, recorded in Matthew 5-7. It is amazing! At the end of this message Jesus said to His hearers:
Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. 26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
I’ve seen lives fall with a great crash because people did not put into practice the words of Jesus. I’ve seen relationships fall with a great crash and I’ve seen churches stagger and fall, sometimes to rise again and sometimes not.
That’s not the future that God has planned for us. God will do immeasurably more than what we ask or imagine according to His power at work within us, and He will be glorified as a result. This will happen as the Word of God is taught and applied faithfully in every part of church life and in our personal lives - as we are all equipped to do the works of service that will build up this local body of believers and the worldwide body of Christ.
I have two questions to ask you and one favour to ask from you:
· What are you doing to receive God’s Word and be changed by it? Is it working for you, or do you need to make some adjustments?
· What are you doing to do the works of service that you are being shaped to perform? Are you using your gifts for ministry? Are you seizing opportunities for ministry? Are you growing in the maturity of your ministry?
· The favour – please let me know what I can do to help you! Do you need more teaching? Do you need opportunities for service? Is there an area of life that you are struggling to apply God’s truth in or struggling to see how His truth can make any difference whatsoever? Give me a ring, send me an email, write me a letter, drop in and see me – help me to carry out my role by letting me know what your needs are.
[1]Unless otherwise noted, all Scriptures are from The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984. Grand Rapids
