‘Preach the Word…correct,
rebuke and encourage.’ 2 Timothy 4:2
Let’s consider some other ways
you can help your pastor be more effective:
1) Understand that it’s your
pastor’s responsibility to enlighten you, not entertain you. Writing to
Timothy, Paul says, ‘Preach the Word…correct, rebuke and encourage - with great
patience and careful instruction.’ Encouragement we enjoy; correction and
rebuke we must learn to accept. ‘The Lord disciplines those he loves’ (Hebrews 12:6
NIV 1984 Edition). Your pastor is God’s instrument for your spiritual growth,
not for your entertainment. When you don’t like the sermon, maybe it’s
‘scratching where the real itch is’. Don’t resent the messenger; instead review
the message in light of God’s Word. Emulate the Berean Christians who ‘received
the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see
if what Paul said was true’ (Acts 17:11 NIV 2011 Edition).
2) Talk to - not about - your
pastor. If you’ve an issue, you’ve a scriptural obligation to talk first to the
Lord, then personally to your pastor - and always with love and grace (see
Matthew 18:15; Ephesians 4:15). Remember, pastors are cut from the same bolt of
cloth as you. They forget things, have ‘off days’, make mistakes, and are
occasionally insensitive. And a good pastor will receive the truth when it’s
spoken in love. They’ll consider your concerns, admit when they’re wrong, and
seek to grow by it. On the other hand, talking about your pastor creates strife
in the church. Like yeast, it ‘leavens the whole lump of dough’ (1 Corinthians
5:6 NASB). Bottom line: ‘Don’t touch [God’s] chosen [ones]’ (1 Chronicles 16:22
CEV) by talking about them behind their back, and don’t give credence to those
who do.
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