Church Member or Attender: I Will Pray For My Church Leaders

1 Kings 3:5–13 KJV 1900

5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee. 6 And Solomon said, Thou hast shewed unto thy servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before thee in truth, and in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with thee; and thou hast kept for him this great kindness, that thou hast given him a son to sit on his throne, as it is this day. 7 And now, O Lord my God, thou hast made thy servant king instead of David my father: and I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in. 8 And thy servant is in the midst of thy people which thou hast chosen, a great people, that cannot be numbered nor counted for multitude. 9 Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may discern between good and bad: for who is able to judge this thy so great a people? 10 And the speech pleased the Lord, that Solomon had asked this thing. 11 And God said unto him, Because thou hast asked this thing, and hast not asked for thyself long life; neither hast asked riches for thyself, nor hast asked the life of thine enemies; but hast asked for thyself understanding to discern judgment; 12 Behold, I have done according to thy words: lo, I have given thee a wise and an understanding heart; so that there was none like thee before thee, neither after thee shall any arise like unto thee. 13 And I have also given thee that which thou hast not asked, both riches, and honour: so that there shall not be any among the kings like unto thee all thy days.

Parable: It was a beautiful Friday morning, Pastor Jones had cleared his schedule that day for one purpose - to spend the morning in prayer and quiet meditation and the rest of the day in preparations for the Sunday sermon.

The phone rings and his assistant tells him that there has been a car accident involving one of the families in the church, the Blaine’s. The ambulances are already on the way to the hospital.

He leaves his bible open on his desk and runs out the door and rushes to the hospital. On the way his assistant calls him again. All five of the Smith family was in the accident. None were seriously injured but the father, Gary. ‘Pastor, it don’t look good’ his assistant says in a hushed tone.

Pastor Jones walks into the emergency room. The family has just been told that thier husband and father did notmake it. They see thier pastor and run to him sobbing, in total shock. He is there for them. He stays with them for the next three hours until he is certain that their are enough people around them to care for them.

He stops by his home to see his wife and grab a quick sandwich. He’s not sure he can return to his sermon preparation, but he knows he must. Je must fight the emotional exhaustion of the morning and finish the message.

As he walks into the church, his assistant apologetically tells him that two people need to speak to him. They consider it urgent.

Pastor Jones meets with two men. One of them, a worship leader in the church is struggling with his ministry and is considering giving up. For the next two hours Mike listens, consoles, and attempts to encourage the staff member.

The next meeting catches Pastor Jones off guard. James is one of the key lay leaders in the church, an incredibly vital leader in the church. He struggles to speak and finally get’s it out; “My wife is having an affair…” There are no more words for at least five minutes. Just tears and sobs.

For the next hour and a half Pastor Jones councils James, prays with him.

By now it’s almost five o’clock. He is to drained. No getting back to the message prep today… He turns to his crowded in box. He cringes as he sees on of the emails. He cannot stop himself and opens the message. It’s from one of his most frequent critics… She has two complaints; The first was an irritation because of something he said in last Sundays message. The second was a complaint, Pastor Jones had not visited her sister-in-law who had minor outpatient surgery yesterday. She was not a member of the church. He had not been asked to visit her. He not not even known about the surgery.

He shut his laptop and left. He stops by the house for a quick bite to eat and then back to check on the Blaine family. He stays with them until 7:30 when he leaves to give the invocation for the local high school basketball game.

He is cornered at the game and don’t get home until nine o’clock. He goes into his small study and shuts the door. He begins to cry. Gary Blaine, the father and husband who was killed in the car accident had been his best friend from childhood.

This was the first time he had had a chance to grieve.

I come this morning with an unashamed, maybe somewhat selfish, call for prayer for me, my family and the leadership of The Life Church of Lincoln!

We have been working through this sermon series; Am I a Member or and Attender.

We have discussed

What biblical membership is

Unity

Not allowing church to be about personal preferences and desires

Today I come with a plea; PRAY FOR CHURCH LEADERSHIP

Title: I Will Pray for My Church Leaders

The parable that I just told is just that, a parable. But I can not tell you how many such situations I have experienced.

I began preaching at the age of 14. This year will mark 30 years I have preached the Word..

Youth pastor at 16

Assistant pastor at 18

Pastor at 23

Pastored now 21 years (almost half my life).

In that time I have dealt with everything… literally.

Murder

Attempted murder

Adultry

Incest

Abuse

Addiction

Death (in middle of church)

Somethings that are so fresh in some of your minds that I don’t mention it to save you pain

I don’t know how many times I have preached funerals of dear saints of God and friends and could not allow myself to grieve because I was the pastor and had to be strong for everyone else...

I don’t know how many times I have sat behind my desk and listen to someone who had to talk to me because their life was falling apart. I listen to their tell of how bad their hang nail was while worrying about another saint who I knew had real issues going on in their life but would not talk to be about them… effectively shutting God out of their lives.

I’m not here to have a pitty-party for pastor’s everywhere…

I’m here to tell you that I need your prayer.

I’m here to tell you that every church leader needs your prayer!

Stand if you are:

Preacher

Teacher

Usher/hostess

Board member

Musician

Singer

Soundman

WE NEED YOUR PRAYER

I NEED YOUR PRAYER

How should you pray for leaders?

Wisdom

Insight

Family

1 Timothy 3:4–5 KJV 1900

4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)

Passage I take very seriously.

Thankful for the love and respect that this church shows to my family...

But there is a pressure that destroys pastor’s families that if the church will join in praying for the family = WILL BE ELIVIATED!

I can’t tell you how many pastor’s families I know that are falling apart because the local church attacks rather then prays for them!

Are you a member or an attender?

Then pray for you pastor, his family and the leadership of TLC!

Need intercessors to raise up and pray for my family and I and the leadership.

Pray for my Protection

1 Timothy 3:1–8 KJV 1900

1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

This is the Job Description of a Five Fold Minister.

Your job is to pray for them because that is a near impossible mark to achieve.

Modern english:

Above reproach (no fault)

Sensible

Have self-control

Respectable

Hostitable

Good teacher

Gentle

Not argumentative

Not greedy

Family must be healthy and balanced

Some would call that impossible!

1 Timothy 3:1–8 KJV 1900

1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; 3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; 4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; 5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 8 Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;

Verse 7: them that are without - unsaved.

THEN snare/trap of the devil

There are traps that Satan sets just for pastor’s and his family...

PRAY FOR US!

Pray for my physical and Mental Health

I am on call 24 hours a day...

Some of you text me at midnight…

Others at 6 am...

I have to have the strength of God to help my physically and mentally.

They did a study that said a pastor should take vacations two weeks at a time because it take a pastor 4-7 days to be able to unplug from his church. BUT the sad reality is that most pastors at best take Monday to Saturday vacations because they have to be back for services on Sunday.

I HAVE TO HAVE YOUR PRAYER!

Conclusion:

Leaders come and rest of church pray over them