‘[Pastors]…should be considered worthy of respect.’ 1
Timothy 5:17
When it comes to your pastor:
1) You must pray for them. Nothing releases the power of
a pastor’s ministry like the prayers of their flock. Paul recognised that his
effectiveness in ministry depended on the people’s prayers: ‘Pray in the
Spirit…Pray also for me, that whenever I open my mouth, words may be given
me…that I will fearlessly make known the mystery of the gospel’ (Ephesians
6:18-19 NIV 1984 Edition). Satan targets pastors who preach the truth. The
thing he hates and fears most is God’s Word: ‘Our struggle is not against flesh
and blood, but against…the powers of this dark world and…spiritual forces of
evil in the heavenly realms’ (v. 12 NIV 2011 Edition). Often when pastors are
preaching, the spiritual struggle is so intense that afterwards they find
themselves drained. Praying ‘in the Spirit’ for your pastor strengthens them
and maximises their effectiveness when it comes to reaching the lost and
bringing those who are saved into spiritual maturity (see 1 Corinthians 1:21).
2) You must respect them. In a day when church has become
more ‘casual’, it’s easy to lose respect for God’s leaders. The Israelites did
it: ‘The anger of the LORD…divided them; he will no more regard them: they
respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders’
(Lamentations 4:16 KJV). And God’s standards haven’t changed: ‘Elders [pastors]
with a gift of leadership should be considered worthy of respect.’ By
respecting your pastor and church leaders, you act as a role model for the
sacredness of God’s ministry to this generation and the next.
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