Who Leads?

In many churches today, an impression has been made (either by the pastor or by the congregation) that the pastor is to do everything that no one else wants to do.

What is the Pastor’s biblical role?

Acts 20:28 (ESV)

28 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.

Titus 1:5 (ESV)

5 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—

Titus 1:7 (ESV)

7 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,

1 Peter 5:1–2 (ESV)

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:

2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;

The pastor’s biblical job description is?

The short description of a pastor’s job is that he is to equip you to do your job. (pg. 126)

Ephesians 4:11–16 ESV

11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.

Notice this, only ONE of the gifts within the church is pastor. He does not, he will not, and he never WILL possess the ability to do everyone else’s job and continue to do his job well. I would add, that any pastor that thinks they can effectively do it all needs to be reminded on this.

However, this is the mindset we see in many churches today. Have a problem? Something been bothering you? Have a disagreement you can’t settle on your own? Sanctuary too hot? Sanctuary too cold? See the need for a teacher or new ministry? Need more toilet paper? Who do they go to first? The PASTOR. Folks, let me give you a piece of humble advice, and I by no means mean this to be degrading or derogatory… but, If there is something that needs to be done in the church go to a mirror first and ask the person staring back at you what they have done to be a part of the SOLUTION first!

Acts 6:1–4 (ESV)

1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists (Greek / non-Jew) arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution.

2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables.

3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty.

4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

According to scripture, who should be caring for the day to day needs within the congregation of the church?

You see, it takes us ALL working together so that the ministry of Christ is complete.

Each part of the body has work to do. When we come to our weekly church gatherings, then it SHOULD be a time of job training.

Pastor’s Job + Members Job = Jesus’ Discipleship Program

This is not a program that can be purchased from a Christian bookstore, a boxed package with a teacher’s manual, student’s guide, and posters for the Sunday school classroom wall. It is a part of our job description, as Christians and church members.

Equipping by Teaching

What should the focus of a pastor’s studies and teaching?

The pastor’s equipping of the saints should be the center of his studies and teaching. 1 Timothy 4:16

1 Timothy 4:16 ESV

16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.

That means they must be able to read, interpret, and exposit God’s Word in a way that we understand and grow in our knowledge. Notice a pastor is not a professor, we do not just stand and profess our knowledge, but we teach about God in a way that should show others that their life depends on their decision to follow Christ! It doesn’t matter what a pastor’s personal opinion about the condition of the world, what their wardrobe selection is, what cool hair cut they have, how long a beard they grow … their MAIN FOCUS should be explaining Gods Word so that lives can be changed and souls SAVED by accepting Christ as their personal Savior. Too often, we think the pastor should entertain us, tickle our ears with funny sayings or his sense of humor, make us feel good when we leave - and while all of that is good, he has failed if he has not taken you to the foot of the cross.

Equipping by Setting an Example

Not only should the pastor teach, but they should set an example for their congregation. Paul says to the Corinthians 1 Corinthians 4:16-17

1 Corinthians 4:16–17 ESV

16 I urge you, then, be imitators of me. 17 That is why I sent you Timothy, my beloved and faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them everywhere in every church.

Now, here comes the fun part…

Where (book, chapter, and verse) that outlines the job description of a pastor?

The bible speaks more of a pastor’s CHARACTER that to their job specifically.

1 Timothy 3:2–7 ESV

2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Titus 1:6–9 ESV

6 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. 7 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, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. 9 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.

Above reproach

husband of one wife

sober-minded

self-controlled

respectable

hospitable

able to teach

not a drunkard

gentle, not quick tempered

not quarrelsome

not a lover of money (greedy)

manager of his own household

keeps children submissive

mature convert

thought well of by outsiders

not arrogant

upright

holy

disciplined

hospitable

hold firm to the Word

giving instruction in sound doctrine

rebuking those who contradicts sound doctrine

Pastors are not a separate “class” of Christian, there’s nothing better about my salvation, my spirituality, or my service to God, I’m still a sinner saved by grace; we just have been called to do different jobs in the church. Pastors are called to help bring others up and into maturity, in the same way a parent would help raise a child, show them how to do, and then get out of the way and let them do it.

Hebrews 13:7 ESV

7 Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.

Advantages of a Plurality

Churches may benefit by having more than one pastor. In many churches today, deacons have taken on more of the role of administrators of the church or in some instances the role of elder. But, they are called to a job of service, is this a part of their biblical job description? But the thought of having more than one pastor, in certain circumstances, can improve the shepherding of the body through the week. The New Testament does not tell us how many elders a church should have, but we do see the use of plurality in the New Testament - “elders”

Acts 20:17 (ESV)

17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.

Acts 14:23 (ESV)

23 And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 16:4 (ESV)

4 As they went on their way through the cities, they delivered to them for observance the decisions that had been reached by the apostles and elders who were in Jerusalem.

Acts 21:18 (ESV)

18 On the following day Paul went in with us to James, and all the elders were present.

Titus 1:5 (ESV)

5 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—

Now it brings to light, how could some churches afford multiple pastors? Biblically speaking, not all of them have to be paid. 1 Timothy 5:17-18

1 Timothy 5:17–18 (ESV)

17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.

18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

In other words, there is a position of senior pastor, and the role of under-pastor, associate pastor, assistant pastor, elder, whatever you want to call them. But the one providing the ruling - directing the path of the church - should be paid. By having multiple pastors, it gives advantages or benefits to a church:

Balances pastoral weaknesses

Add pastoral wisdom

Defuses “us vs/ him” mentality

Provided continuity of leadership (if one leaves)

Creates a clear discipleship path

Sets an example (mature men discipling men, mature women discipling other women)

Trust

If we remember back to Jesus’ discipleship program, it consists of the pastor doing their job of equipping members to do theirs. But that only works when we trust each other. Without trust, things will fall apart. We have to be willing to place our trust in others, and we must be trustworthy. Too often we hear of rumors and gossip within our churches. We speak to others outside the church about issues within the church. We question the paths being taken. All of that weakens the trust among leadership and congregation, it weakens the trust between members, and it weakens the IMPACT of our ministry between the church and those unchurched. But hey, let me remind you. Your primary means of spiritual growth is not from another human…it is from hearing God’s Word. But, if you don’t trust them, then you will have a hard time hearing God’s Word from them and it will hurt you spiritually over time.

Maybe the problem is with you. Too often, it is easy to point the finger at someone else while ignoring the three pointing back. Another thing to consider is this, if you always find problems with the person in leadership…then maybe the person in leadership isn’t the problem. Maybe there is a resistance to submission. Maybe there is a resistance to authority. Maybe, just maybe…there is a resistance to the calling God is placing on your life. If we have never fully trusted Christ (submission without full surrender) so that our relationship with Him can be as He intended, and our other relationships will fall into place.

Deacons

I have briefly mentioned deacons, but want to go further into their role in the church. Deacons are not a second body of decision makers.

What three things does God call deacons to do?

God gives deacons three things to do: identify and serve the needs in the congregation, protect and promote church unity, and serve and support the ministry of the pastor(s).

The church is given the task to find Godly individuals who could do the work of making sure the needs of those in the church were provided for. Caring for the needs within the congregation embodies God’s care for us individually and spiritually, and acts as a witness to those outside the church.

What was the whole purpose of these deacons? Was it to be nothing more than a servant?

If we go back and read in Acts 6, we find that serving the needs was only one component of their calling. The second part of their calling was to promote UNITY among the body of believers. You see, the physical neglect was causing a spiritual disconnect among the body. And the third part of their calling was to support the ministry of the apostles. By caring for the needs of the widows, the gave the time needed for the apostles (pastors) to focus on the Word of God that was much needed for their ministry. The deacons were called to encourage and support the ministry of the pastor. How did this work out?

Acts 6:7 ESV

7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.

It takes us all working together, in unity and with trust for one another, for God’s Will to be done in our local congregation. Never underestimate the significance of the gifts God has given you so that His will can be done. Just as God has given the pastors a serious responsibility Hebrews 13:17 “17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account... each member should learn to trust them to do His work and trust that God will be the one that holds them accountable and take notice to the warning “Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” If the body of Christ (Pastors, Deacons, Teachers, Congregation) within the local church comes together and truly works to accomplish their God given gifts, then TRUE DISCIPLESHIP takes place and others will come to know Jesus as their personal Savior as a result.

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