A Portrait of Pastors

INTRODUCTION AND CONTEXT

For most of Katie and I’s first 18 months of dating and engagement, we were in a long-distance relationship.

I was living in Virginia. She was living in Tennessee, going to school at Belmont.

When she would come home for the summers or holiday breaks, we would have this wonderful time because we could actually be with one another.

We were not dependent on phones and texting.

And by texting, I mean the kind on flip phones—before keyboards on screens! It took work!

But inevitably, the summer or holiday break would come to an end and she would leave to go back.

I recall many days sitting outside of her parents house and her crying on my shoulder as she said goodbye to me. It was brutal.

Typically, I would not shed any years so that I could be strong for her and then, I would get in my car and weep like a little baby away from the public eye!

But these were tearful farewells.

And this morning, that is exactly what we see in the Scriptures.

We see Paul, on an emotionally hard day in 55 AD, crying as he says goodbye to men he has ministered with. Men he has taught. Men he has loved.

Paul is in Miletus, a coastal town about 30 miles from Ephesus.

Before he goes any further on his journey toward Jerusalem, he calls for the elders of the church in Ephesus.

He wants to see them.

He wants to speak to them.

He wants to hug them and say goodbye to them one last time, knowing he would never see them again.

And as he does this, we get his famous Farewell Address to these men.

As we study this passage this morning, we will more than just a goodbye, we will get a Portrait of Pastors, painted by the words of the Apostle.

We will see:

1. The Example of a Pastor

2. The Duties of a Pastor

3. The Heart of a Pastor

Let me read the text for us—these are the very words of God.

Acts 20:17–38 ESV

Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’ ” And when he had said these things, he knelt down and prayed with them all. And there was much weeping on the part of all; they embraced Paul and kissed him, being sorrowful most of all because of the word he had spoken, that they would not see his face again. And they accompanied him to the ship.

THE EXAMPLE OF A PASTOR

We will begin this morning by looking at:

1. The example of a pastor (v. 18-23; 26-27; 33-35).

Before we look at the example that Paul gives the elders in this address, there are two things I would like to be clear about.

ELDERS, OVERSEERS, SHEPHERDS

First of all, you might be confused because you do not see the word “Pastor” in this passage.

However, that should not alarm you.

What we have in front of us is actually one of the most unique passages of Scripture in the New Testament because it is the only place where we see all three terms that are used for those who lead and govern the church in one place.

In verse 17, Luke uses the word “elders.”

presbyteros in the original language.

This is the term that Paul uses in 1 Timothy 3:6 when talking about those whom God gives the authority to govern and lead the local church.

In verse 28, Paul uses a different term when talking to this same group of leaders—overseer.

Episkopos in the Greek.

When Paul greets those holding the two church offices in Philippians 1, this is the word he uses:

Philippians 1:1 ESV

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are at Philippi, with the overseers and deacons:

And then, in verse 28, Paul uses the verb poimaino (pew-MEN-oh), which translates in the English Standard Version to “care.”

Care for the church of God

But the NIV is actually more helpful here when it translates it like this:

Be shepherds of the church of God

Poimaino is the verb form of the noun poimen (poy-main).

This is the Greek noun that translates to our English word, pastor.

So then, we have a passage where all three of the New Testament words for those who lead and govern the church are used in the same breath.

Elder, Overseer, Shepherd/Pastor

This shows us how these are truly interchangeable terms that can be used to talk about the called and qualified men who lead God’s church.

PAUL THE PASTOR

Secondly, before we get into Paul’s example, we might wonder whether or not Paul is really a pastor himself. After all, doesn’t he refer to himself as an apostle?

Well that is true.

Paul is an Apostle.

He holds a very unique role as one of the men who helped lay the foundation of the church, with Christ as the Cornerstone.

But with that said, Paul very much performed pastoral functions during his ministry.

He preached to churches.

He taught in churches.

He helped raise up elders in churches—like these men from Ephesus.

He expressed concern for his churches again and again

While Paul was an Apostle in title, he was a missionary, a teacher, a preacher and a pastor in function for the churches he established.

So we should have no problem with him pointing to himself as an example for the Ephesian pastors again and again in this text.

And that is exactly what he does.

Let’s look at how he provides an example of a pastor.

HE GAVE THEM EXAMPLE OF LIVING (v. 18-19)

After Paul has summoned and gathered the elders of the church to come to him, he says this:

You yourselves know how I lived among you...

In this, Paul is pointing to his life as an example for these pastors.

His life in Asia was marked with service and humility and suffering.

He was not a prideful man, coming to prop himself up and advance his own cause and his own agenda.

He did not come demanding a green room with blue M and M’s, room temperature bottle water and a steak dinner.

He did not come to serve, but to be served, like His Lord Jesus.

He faced and endured trials.

He was plotted against by the Jewish people everywhere from Antioch to Ephesus.

From Acts 13 to here in Acts 20.

From Galatia to Macedonia to Achaia to Asia.

Jealousy and hardened hearts caused the Jewish people in these places to come against Paul, and yet, he continued to serve in humility and through tears.

Why would Paul do this?

2 Timothy 2:10 ESV

Therefore I endure everything for the sake of the elect, that they also may obtain the salvation that is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory.

He does it for the church. For the elect—the chosen of God—that they may taste the inheritance stored up for them, just as Paul had tasted it.

And that they would ultimately receive it in full on the Day of the Lord.

A pastor must be willing to suffer in his living, with humility and with tears, in order to see his people know God and enjoy God.

HE GAVE THEM AN EXAMPLE OF FAITHFULNESS (v. 20-21)

Paul faithfully preached to all people in all places.

Despite the persecution he had received, he did not shrink back from teaching any of God’s truth that would profit their souls (v. 20).

He did this in public in Ephesus—in the synagogue and in the House of Tyrannus.

And he says he also did this house to house.

This reminds me of the English Puritan, Richard Baxter, who was the minister in Kidderminster, England.

In 17 years, Baxter saw nearly the entire town of 2000 people converted.

What was his evangelism plan?

He went house to house, explaining the Word of God to people.

He said that when he began, only a few houses on each street possessed believing members of his church.

He said that as the ministry progressed, there was hardly a house that did not believe and have the spiritual light of Christ.

Pastors must teach.

They must be faithful to proclaim God’s Word in the world.

And they also must be faithful to do it with all people who are under their care, in all seasons, without shrinking back from the truth that God has revealed.

After all, this is the distinguishing mark of those that will be elders or shepherds in God’s church.

They must be able to teach.

Outside of that, the list of qualifications for overseers and deacons in 1 Timothy 3 are nearly identical.

And of course, Paul, as an example to these men, did not just teach anything.

It was not his own opinion he was espousing all over Ephesus.

It was the Gospel.

He testified to Jews and Greeks alike, the Gospel of repentance toward God and of faith in Jesus Christ the Lord.

This is what pastors much teach when they teach.

The Gospel.

A pastor has nothing else to offer his people that is of eternal value.

When God calls him, he calls him to preach the Gospel.

HE GAVE THEM AN EXAMPLE OF BOLDNESS (v. 22-23)

In v. 22, Paul announces that he will be going to Jerusalem.

The Spirit has constrained him or bound him to go.

He doesn’t know what is there except that it won’t be easy.

The Spirit has revealed to him in city after city that afflictions and imprisonment awaits him and Jerusalem will be no different (v. 23).

Most people turn back at the face of danger.

Paul goes sails into danger’s tempest willingly.

He is boldly obedient for the Gospel’s sake—and example to the Ephesian pastors, who would now need to lead the church without Paul.

HE GAVE THEM AN EXAMPLE OF A CLEAN CONSCIENCE (v. 26-27)

We see this if we skip down to verses 26 and 27.

Paul can testify before God and man that he is innocent of the blood of all and that he did not shrink back from proclaiming the entirety of the full counsel of the Gospel to these men and to the Ephesians.

According to Dave Peterson, the whole counsel of God (v. 27), would include the whole of God’s plan for humanity.

God’s plan to save His people with His grace and rescue them from the judgment they deserve and to do all of this in Jesus Christ.

And this is more than just His plan to save individuals, but His plan to restore what the locust of sin had eaten to the entire created order.

Through Jesus Christ, God will judge the world.

And through Jesus Christ, God will restore the world in the new heavens and the new earth.

Any who repent and believe, will dwell with God forever, enjoying the eternal life Christ has won for them.

Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel was done in such fervent obedience, that he is able to speak like a faithful guard on a watchtower who has sounded the alarm as the enemy of death approaches fallen sinners.

His language in v. 26 is reminiscent of what God said through Ezekiel:

Ezekiel 33:2–6 ESV

“Son of man, speak to your people and say to them, If I bring the sword upon a land, and the people of the land take a man from among them, and make him their watchman, and if he sees the sword coming upon the land and blows the trumpet and warns the people, then if anyone who hears the sound of the trumpet does not take warning, and the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be upon his own head. He heard the sound of the trumpet and did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But if he had taken warning, he would have saved his life. But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, so that the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any one of them, that person is taken away in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.

Paul is a watchman with no blood on his hands.

He has done his job.

There are times in which a pastor wants to shrink back.

There are times when sounding the alarm is hard.

Some may think you are sounding an alarm that should not be sounded or need not be sounded.

Many will not listen.

But Paul’s example shows that a pastor must be a good watchman.

HE GAVE THEM AN EXAMPLE OF RIGHT MOTIVES (v. 33-35)

A pastor must live to minister and not minister to live.

Money is never a good reason to exercise spiritual oversight.

Paul left an example of this in Ephesus.

Many religious teachers and traveling philosophers of Paul’s era demanded large sums of money in return for their words.

But Paul was not this way.

He was not there teaching and preaching because of a sinful desire for what others had (v. 33).

He did not try and trade truth for goods.

In fact, he did the opposite.

His own hands ministered to his necessities and to his mission team’s needs (v. 34).

Presumably, he did this through the tent-making mentioned in Acts 18.

Far from leeching off of the Ephesians, he provided for himself and even for the weak in the church (v. 35).

This sort of example of right motives and generous living is something Paul learned from Jesus.

remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.

This is probably a reference to Jesus’ words in Matthew 10:8.

It represents a general Christian principle that must be modeled by pastors—do good to everyone and leave your reward with God.

He will bless the generous.

It should be said that Paul’s words here doesn’t mean pastors cannot be paid.

Paul himself instructed churches to allow the ox to eat while he treads (1 Timothy 5:18)

And that the elders or pastors who do the bulk of the teaching are “worthy of double honor.”

And yet, Paul’s example still holds true.

No man whom God calls to shepherd His church should be doing it primarily for financial gain.

THE SUM OF PAUL’S EXAMPLE

A godly life, faithfulness, boldness, a clean conscience and right motives.

This is the example Paul laid down for these men who themselves must be examples.

I can tell you that for pastors, it is a challenging thing to read Paul’s words when he writes to Corinthians and says this:

1 Corinthians 11:1 ESV

Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

It is challenging because you have to always be asking yourself, “Can I say this?”

Some days you feel you can say it more confidently than others.

As a parent, I remember holding my first son for the first time and thinking, “Everything is different now. I have to be an example to this kid.”

As a pastor is set aside and appointed to Gospel ministry, a similar weight must be felt.

Paul wore that weight well.

And God’s Word calls all pastors to do the same.

THE DUTIES OF A PASTOR

This is the example of a pastor.

But what about the duties of a pastor.

This is our second point this morning:

2. The duties of a pastor (v. 28-32).

I think there are six duties that we see for a pastor that Paul lays out before these men.

We can find them in verses 28-32.

PASTORS MUST WATCH OVER THEMSELVES (v. 28)

First of all, Paul says that pastors must watch over themselves.

And I think the order is important here.

Before a man can oversee the flock of God, he must be vigilant to watch over his own life.

When Paul tells Timothy and Titus what a pastor must be, very little is said about skill.

As I mentioned, the pastor much be able to teach.

But outside of that, the requirements for the office are character-based.

Titus 1:5–9 ESV

This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.

He must be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and rebuke those who contradict it.

Everything else is about the character and heart of a man.

This is why, when a pastor disqualified himself, it is not over lacking eloquence in preaching or struggling to be an administrator.

Disqualification typically is all about moral failure.

Moral failure steals the man’s ability to be the example we just talked about.

We’ve seen many pastors fall in the last number of years. Not just jet-flying prosperity pastors.

We have seen men who have a reputation for teaching sound doctrine rooted in the Word, disqualify themselves from pulpits because sin came in deceived them into indulging their flesh.

A pastor must keep watch over their lives because everyone thinks, “It won’t happen to me.”

But there is also a community aspect to this.

I think Paul is also saying that the men who shepherd Ephesus together must watch over one another.

Elders who elder together must guard each others hearts.

You never see any model or instruction for the church in the New Testament where pastors are called to solo-shepherding.

Paul told Titus to appoint elders (plural) in every town.

Solo-shepherding is asking for trouble.

Every church should have a plurality of pastors and those pastors should hold one another accountable.

This is why I call Ben my pastor.

This is why I am his pastor.

We don’t just pastor you—we pastor one another.

This is a strategy that must be in place.

Satan is strategic. We can’t wait until it is too late to start fighting his schemes.

We must use the strategies God has given us and a plurality of elders puts up safeguards against the attacks of the Enemy.

PASTORS MUST WATCH OVER THE FLOCK (v. 28)

Pastors must not only watch over themselves, but of course, they must watch over the church—the flock which the Holy Spirit made them overseers of.

Elders and overseers must shepherd the church of God by caring for it.

The question is—what does this sort of care look like?

Well, Paul gives the answer at the end of verse 28.

When Paul says that God obtained the church with His own blood, he is making a statement about the church’s value.

Pastors should care for the church like a treasure that has great worth, because after all—this is the jewel that God’s Son bought with his life’s blood.

It was paid for with crimson.

When Jesus died for His church, He paid for her every sin.

He took names and records to the Cross.

He took the names of those whom the Father elected to Calvary and He suffered in their place for the record of sin that they had committed or would commit.

He died for every sin of Abraham.

He died for every sin of Moses.

He died for what David did with Bathsheba.

And He died for what you did just last week, as well as for anything you did before that or anything else you will do that falls short in the rest of your life.

It was personal and soaked with sacrificial love.

In light of what Christ has done to win the church, the pastors must watch over the church.

They must care for her with the same sort of sacrificial love, knowing that if Jesus counts her to be this precious, then precious shepherding she must receive!

Why do pastors come to bedsides? Why do we make phone calls? Why do we weep over sin? Why do we feel burdened for people? Why are we zealous to teach right things and guard from wrong things?

Because we have been called to care for the Church that Jesus has loved unto death.

PASTORS MUST PROTECT THE FLOCK FROM WOLVES (v. 29)

In the Ancient Near Eastern world of shepherding, wolves were always a great danger.

Wolves would attack sheep because they are vulnerable and defenseless.

They would jump into the sheep pen or crawl under the fence of the sheep pen and attack.

Or they would try and find sheep in an open field and attack.

So one of the jobs of the shepherd then, was not just to make sure the flock of sheep had food and water and a place to rest—they had to make sure they did not become food for the predatory wolf.

Paul uses this word-picture to illustrate what he knows will happen after he leaves the Ephesians.

Wolves will come in and seek to spiritually harm the sheep.

This is something that the elders, as the shepherds over the flock, would have to guard against.

These wolves may seek to bring in false teaching. They may seek to bring in sinful behavior. They may seek sinful financial gain. They may want to advance a prideful, self-aggrandizing agenda.

Whatever the danger may be, the shepherds must be on guard against it.

A hired hand will never do this.

John 10:12–13 ESV

He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

Shepherds would sometimes have to leave their flocks in order to tend to other business and they would hire someone to care for the sheep.

Jesus is saying that someone who is just there for a wage and doesn’t love the sheep, will run and flee.

We just talked about people ministering for money.

Those who pastor for paychecks will never stand up and fight wolves.

They will run.

They are in ministry for personal gain. They aren’t going to put themselves in harm’s way for the sake of the flock.

But a shepherd who is following The Good Shepherd, Jesus, who lays down His life for the sheep, will stay and fight.

When the hired hand runs, the shepherd will lay down His own body in between the flock and the wolf, whatever the cost may be.

Pastors must protect the church.

PASTORS MUST PROTECT THE FLOCK FROM FALSE TEACHERS (v. 30)

The protection that pastors provide is not always about those jumping the fence from the outside. Sometimes it is from within.

Paul tells the Ephesian pastors that they must look out for those from within their own elder body that will become like Judas.

They will speak twisted things, meaning they lie and teach falsely.

And they will draw away disciples with this false teaching.

What this tells us is that sound doctrine cannot be assumed.

Not even from within the group of men who are leading the church.

Pastors must be vigilant to internal threats, as well as external threats.

If those who come from the outside are wolves, those who pervert from the inside might be compared to a bacterial infection spreading through a flock of sheep and causing sickness and death.

When shepherds see twisted things beginning to have a negative impact on the church and they sense that spiritual danger is manifesting from within, they must locate the source of infection and cut it out.

Whether it is confronting another pastor over false teaching and prideful attitudes or it is something that is happening among the sheep, the danger must be dealt with.

Internal dangers are just as capable as dragging sheep away as wolves with sharp teeth who come from the outside.

PASTORS MUST STAY ALERT (v. 31)

Maybe this all sounds like a lot to you.

Watching over one another...

Caring for the flock...

Fighting wolves...

Fighting twisted teaching from within...

Well it is. And that is why Paul says that these men must be alert.

Once again, they can look to Paul as their example for alertness because in his three years there, he did not cease to admonish the church day and night through tears.

Cambridge Dictionary defines watchfulness as, “paying careful attention and ready to deal with problems.”

This is the constant state of pastoral ministry.

1 Corinthians 16:13 is not specifically for pastors, but you could certainly say it represents the heart of what pastoral watchfulness and alertness must be:

1 Corinthians 16:13 ESV

Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.

There are times in which I will think, “When can we just relax for a bit. Enjoy the fruits of what we have done. When is there not another next thing to fix or be concerned with?”

And God, usually through another wise brother in ministry, will remind me that this is not promised.

This is not the calling.

The calling is alertness at all times.

The answer to my question is—Paradise. That’s when.

The New Earth—that’s when we can kick our feet up.

But until then, the pastor stands with his staff in hand, ready to strike a wolf and ready to fight an infection.

A PASTOR MUST RELY ON GOD AND HIS WORD OF GRACE (v. 32)

If this high calling sounds exhausting, I want to admit to you that it can be. Quite often.

But God does not leave us to our own devices.

Look at what Paul says in v. 32:

He doesn’t commend their own strength to them.

He doesn’t even commend himself to them primarily.

His example is one to follow, but it won’t sustain them.

Instead, he commends two things:

The Lord Himself

And the Word of His grace

I am weakest in ministry when I am weakest in prayer.

I am most dull in preaching and teaching, when I am most dull in the Word.

The secret to sustaining in the work of ministry is being sustained by God and His Word.

If you want to walk faithfully with sheep as a shepherd, you must walk faithfully with Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

He is the One who builds you up for the work, so that you may pour yourself out for the sake of the elect.

He is the One who is able to deliver to you the blessings of salvation in this age and the age to come—He is the One who guarantees your inheritance.

Pastors and church members are going to receive the inheritance that Christ as won for us, but it is God who will see to that.

It is His Word of unmerited favor and love that will carry us along to enjoy that inheritance day by day and then fully on THE DAY that our faith becomes sight.

Since He is the Author of Salvation, who else would a pastor rely on?

Who else’s Word would we stand on?

God Himself is the secret to fulfilling the call that is laid on shepherding shoulders.

THE HEART OF A PASTOR (v. 24-25; 36-38)

And finally, in this speech, we see:

3. The heart of a pastor (v. 24-25; 36-38).

Paul’s heart is on full display all throughout this speech, but I want to mention two places specifically. And I’ll be brief.

A PASTOR’S HEART IS OBEDIENT EVEN WHEN IT IS COSTLY (v. 24-25)

Notice what Paul says in v. 24-25.

He does not count his life of value, except that it would be used to cross the finish line and accomplish the ministry that Jesus gave to him.

In order to do that, he will have to say goodbye to these men that he loves and press on toward Jerusalem and then Rome (v. 25).

He will never see them again.

People say that parting is “sweet sorrow.”

This would be the definition.

Sweet because he is being obedient to the Lord Jesus.

But sorrowful because it comes at the cost of a painful goodbye.

And yet, staying is not an option.

As the Apostle to the Gentiles, Paul must get to the heart of the Gentile world.

That is Rome.

This demonstrates how men of God, who lead God’s church, cannot have their own comfort and their own desires in the forefront as they do their work.

They must do what is right, whatever the cost may be.

And this sounds radical, but they must see the the value of their lives through the lens of finishing the work God gave them to do.

Sounds radical—but I’m not sure it should be.

This is just pastoral ministry.

A PASTOR’S HEART IS FILLED WITH LOVE FOR HIS PEOPLE (v. 36-38)

Look at how much Paul loves these men that he has taught and grown up in the Lord in the last few verses of our text.

They are all crying. They are hugging.

They are saying goodbye.

Beyond a shadow of a doubt, Paul is filled with love for this church and its leaders.

And they know it. And they love him for it.

CONCLUDING APPLICATION

I hope that this morning serves you in three ways:

1. May our church understand more about the hearts and lives of their pastors.

This is not an easy life for us. Nor is it easy for our families.

But my goodness do we love it and do we love you!

We say it when we dismiss you every Sunday. We mean it.

We love you church.

To the point of tears. To the point of sorrow at times.

To the point of joy inexpressible so often.

We love you.

2. May our church pray for our pastors with this deeper understanding.

We need your prayers church.

Satan hates us. He hates what we do. He hates our church.

And that dog tries to sink his teeth into us as often as he can.

Please do us the great privilege of being on your knees for us, interceding on our behalf.

Pray for our holiness. Pray for us to be close to Jesus.

Pray for our patience. Pray for us to grow in grace.

Pray for our wisdom and courage.

We need your prayers.

3. May our church have more pastors.

I want to close with an exercise this morning.

After all you have heard today, I want you to raise your hand in your heart, when I ask these questions or keep your hand down in your heart.

A) Raise your hand in your heart if you believe every Christian needs a pastor.

B) Raise your hand in your heart if you believe you have a pastor.

C) Raise your hand in your heart if you think 2 men can pastor 260 souls effectively.

I have a feeling that many of you kept your hands down on that third one.

We need more pastors.

We are going to work on hiring a third in the coming months.

But can three men pastor 260 people?

Church—the Ephesian elders weren’t hired by a committee. They came from within.

We have men in this church that I believe are qualified to pastor alongside of us.

Some of them are likely already feeling called.

In the coming seasons, we must turn our focus to growing our pastoral team from the outside AND from the inside.

We must get the fathers of this church to the leadership table next to our hired pastors.

It will be for our church’s health.

It will be for our church’s good.

And it will be for the joy of your soul.