What's a Pastor to do?

I’ve been a pastor for about thirty years now.  I’ve always taken my job or my calling very seriously and even as Paul declared himself to be an example for others to follow, I sought to be that too.  I remember many determinations I made as a young pastor to help me lead by example in devotion, discipline and determination.   Now let me be quick to say that I’ve failed pretty substantially in those endeavors but nonetheless I continue to strive to show myself an example to believers. 

Have you ever thought about a pastor’s primary responsibilities?  Is it to preach on Sunday?  Visit the sick in the hospital?  Is it to be an example of the Christ-follower?  Recently in my study of Acts 6 God strengthened my heart in what He has called me to do as a pastor.  The church in Acts was growing and the apostles came face to face with the reality that they could not keep up with leading the ministries of the exploding church.  They couldn’t lead everything, much less do everything, so they commissioned a second tier of ministry leadership to take care of ministries that seemed to be popping up organically through the work of the Spirit.  But in that process they also drilled down on what they were called to do—they were to focus on God’s Word and prayer.  In Acts 6:4 the apostles say, “We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.”

In the thirty years I’ve served as a pastor, I think I’ve always looked at that through Western eyes.  What I mean is that I heard them saying, “The apostles role (or the pastor role in my case) is to preach God’s Word on Sundays, and possibly Wednesday or at any other church function, and to devote much time to personal prayer.”  But this time, in my study, I looked at what they meant through the lens of what the apostles were actually doing at that time, and I came up with three very clear, and somewhat different, responsibilities.  If you are a pastor, let me share them with you and challenge you by them.

Their first responsibility was sharing the word of God in the temple and I think that clearly refers to sharing with an evangelistic intent (Acts 5:21, 25, 42).  You will remember they were intent on being a witness to the life and resurrection of Jesus, and in Acts 6:7 it says that many of the priest were even coming to faith.  And pastor, please notice this—they were doing that from day to day.  In other words, when they said they were going to give themselves to the Word of God, they were saying they were going to keep on sharing God’s Word in the temple evangelistically.  Our role as a pastor is to be an evangelist—to share God’s Word so as to lead people to Jesus.  Obviously I think that can apply to our Sunday morning formal preaching but in the context of their lives, it’s pretty clear that this means I am to be a daily soul winner.  Do you remember what Paul told Timothy?  Don’t neglect doing the work of an evangelist.  Our ministry as a pastor is to share the gospel intentionally and as often and clearly as we can.  We should be on the edge of our seat looking for and even seeking to share the gospel of Jesus.  Lately I begin every day with this prayer; “God, I’m planning on you using me today—keep me alert for that time.”

Their second responsibility was to teach God’s Word to believers for their edification.  Not only were they in the temple doing evangelism, they were teaching from house to house (Acts 5:42).  We all know that in these early days of the church, believers met in their homes so the apostles were teaching them there, and again they were doing so daily.  In his letter to the Ephesians Paul would tell us that our ministry of pastor is to equip the saints and that equipping comes primarily through God’s Word (Ephesians 4:11-12).  Obviously this includes our formal teaching on Sunday morning, but it’s more than that.  It’s our small group discipleship, when like Jesus we pour our lives into a few strong men who in turn will pour their lives into a few other strong men who will turn around yet again and do the same.

Their third responsibility was to pray for the sick.   When this need for specific ministry leadership arises in Acts 6, the disciples are swamped with the responsibility of praying for all the sick who are being brought to them from all over (Acts 5:12-16).  When the apostles say we must give ourselves to prayer, they are not talking about personal, private prayer in their closets; they are talking about a ministry of prayer where they are praying for needy sick people from all over the region.  When I got this picture in my heart, God invigorated my soul to pray for the needs of desperate people.  When James wrote his short letter he says, “Is anyone sick?  Let them call for the elders to pray for them.”  Pastor, our ministry is one of praying for people.  Should we pray privately?  Of course.  Should we pray in church meetings?  Obviously.  But as a pastor I should see my ministry as one of shepherding and caring for people by coming along side them and praying for them.   These days I sense a great burden to pray for people’s needs.

I’m not saying by this post that there are not other things we could and even should be doing, but pastor, I believe these are things we must see as priority.   Use God’s Word as an evangelist,  explain God’s Word as a teacher, and shepherd God’s people, all people, with the great responsibility of prayer.