Ministering to Your Pastor

From Gospel Translations

(Difference between revisions)

Revision as of 14:58, 22 May 2009

By John Piper About Church Issues

The Bible Friend (Vol. 75, No. 8), Minneapolis, MN

Let's begin with a passage of Scripture from Romans 1:8-12. Paul says to the church:

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.

I would like to discuss our responsibility to minister to our pastor. We have heard many times that all Christians are ministers, according to Ephesians 4:12. We stress in our Sunday school classes the need to pray for each other and encourage each other in the faith, but I think we are prone to forget that our pastor is one of us. So I want to remind us why we need to minister to our pastor, how we might do it better, and what we can hope for as a result.

First, why must we minister to our pastor? The reason is that he is a human and a fellow believer like us. As a man, he is just as susceptible to temptations as any of us. Faith isn't automatic for him just because he is a pastor. It is no easier for him to be a loving, hopeful person than it is for us. His resources in the fight of faith are no greater than ours. He is one of us.

More than that, the unique burdens of his calling demand our faithful ministry to him; for example, the administrative burden of seeing that a hundred details are taken care of. Most of these we are never even aware of. Then there is the burden of hearing and delivering messages from God week after week. Don't ever think that these messages come easily for a pastor. If they are consistently Biblical, they require much hard work. Many tears are shed in a pastor's study over sermons that just won't come. If we feel spiritually dry we might skip church or come for renewal, but where can a pastor go?

Then there is the burden of wanting his people to act more like Jesus and be the light of the world. Paul said to the Galatians (4:19), "I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!" Nothing weighs heavier on a pastor's heart than when his people don’t grow in faith, love, and righteousness.

You could all make a longer list of pastoral pressures, but now let's consider how we can minister to our pastor.

The best way to bear the burden of your pastor is to be a Christian. Paul said in Philippians 2:2-3, "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." In other words, nothing will refresh our pastor like a humble, loving, Christ-like congregation. Paul said to the Roman church, "I long to see you … that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (1:11-12). Our faith is a source of great encouragement to our pastor. So let's be a believing people.

Besides this, I have three specific suggestions of things we can do to build our pastor up and increase the fruitfulness of his ministry.

Pray for him every day. Write it down so you don't forget. And don't just say, "God bless the pastor.” Be specific. Pray for his health, his messages, his family, his visiting, his flaws and weaknesses. Put yourself in his place and try to feel with him as you pray.
Second, go out of your way to say some gracious words of encouragement. Write him a note on the registration card, send a letter now and then to his home; call him up on the phone. Get him alone sometime, look him right in the face, and say, "I appreciate your work, pastor, and I am praying for you every day." Don't be satisfied with platitudes at the door after Sunday services.
Third, admonish him in a spirit of forgiveness. I have never talked to anyone in my life who is completely satisfied with his pastor. There is a very simple reason: All men are imperfect. Some people never seem to learn this. and they hop from church to church in search of the flawless pastor. That's hopeless. It is far better to find a church where you feel at home and to consider it your lifelong responsibility to help the pastor grow. Everyone would like to change something about his pastor, but how many of us have devoted ourselves to earnest prayer about that thing? And how many have sat down with him and with a humble, forgiving spirit admonished him to change? If we love him we will do it ... and he is not all that scary to talk to.

Those are just some of the ways to minister to your pastor. You think of others.

The final question I raised was, what can we hope for as a result of our ministry? In short, we can hope for a refreshed, hopeful, invigorated pastor. Thus our ministry to him will come back to us like a boomerang and will create a refreshed, hopeful, and invigorated people. Then the world will know that Christ is real and is at work among us.

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 {{info}}''The Bible Friend (Vol. 75, No. 8), Minneapolis, MN''
-Empezamos con un pasaje de Escritura de Romanos&nbsp; 1:8-12.&nbsp; Pablo les dice a la iglesia:
+Let's begin with a passage of Scripture from Romans 1:8-12. Paul says to the church:
-''Primeramente doy gracias a mi Dios mediante Jesucristo con respecto a todos vosotros, de que vuestra fe se divulga por todo el mundo.&nbsp; Porque testigo me es Dios, a quien sirvo en mi espíritu en el evangelio de su Hijo, de que sin cesar hago mención de vosotros siempre en mis oraciones''<span style="font-style: italic;">, rogando que de alguna manera tenga al fin, por la voluntad de dios, un prósperoviaje para ir a vosotros.&nbsp; Porque deseo veros, para comunicaros algún don espiritual, a fin de que seaís confirmados; esto es, para ser mutuamente confortados por la fe que nos es común a vosotros y a mí.</span>
+''First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed in all the world. For God is my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the gospel of his Son, that without ceasing I mention you always in my prayers, asking that somehow by God's will I may now at last succeed in coming to you. For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine.''
-Quiero hablar de nuestra responsibilidad de ministrar a nuestro pastor.&nbsp; Hemos escuchado muchas veses que todos Cristianos son ministros, de acuerdo con Efesios 4:12.&nbsp; Estresamos en las clases de la Escuela Dominical&nbsp; la necesidad para orar por cada uno de nosotros y animarnos en la fe, pero pienso que a veses nos olvidamos que nuestro pastor en parte de nosotros.&nbsp; Entonces quiero recordarte porque necesitamos ministrar a nuestro pastor, como podemos hacerlo mejor, y que podemos esperar como resultas.
+I would like to discuss our responsibility to minister to our pastor. We have heard many times that all Christians are ministers, according to Ephesians 4:12. We stress in our Sunday school classes the need to pray for each other and encourage each other in the faith, but I think we are prone to forget that our pastor is one of us. So I want to remind us why we need to minister to our pastor, how we might do it better, and what we can hope for as a result.
-Primeramente, ¿porque debemos de ministrar a nuestro pastor? El razon es que el es humano y creyente como nostros.&nbsp; Como un hombre, el es sensible a los tentaciónes asi como nosotros.&nbsp; Fe no es automático solo porque el es el pastor.&nbsp; No es mas facíl por el para ser una persona cariñoso, optimista mas que nosotros.&nbsp; Sus recursos en la batalla de fe no son mejores que nosotros.&nbsp; El es parte de nosotros.
+First, why must we minister to our pastor? The reason is that he is a human and a fellow believer like us. As a man, he is just as susceptible to temptations as any of us. Faith isn't automatic for him just because he is a pastor. It is no easier for him to be a loving, hopeful person than it is for us. His resources in the fight of faith are no greater than ours. He is one of us.
-Mas que eso, los preocupaciónes especial de su llamada exige nuestro ministerio de fielidad hacia a el; por ejemplo, el preocupación administrativa de ver que cienes de detalles son completados.&nbsp; Ni nos damos cuenta de muchas cosas.&nbsp; Despues esta el llamado de escuchar y predicar el mensaje de Dios semana tras semana.&nbsp; Ni piensas que estas mensajes son faciles por el pastor.&nbsp; Sí la mayoria son bíblico , requieren mucho trabajo.&nbsp; Muchas lagrímas son derramado sobre el estudio de los sermones del pastor que no vienen facilmente.&nbsp; Sí nosotros sentimos secos espiritualmente quizás no nos vamos a la iglesia or nos vamos para renovarnos, pero ¿adonde puede ir el pastor?
+More than that, the unique burdens of his calling demand our faithful ministry to him; for example, the administrative burden of seeing that a hundred details are taken care of. Most of these we are never even aware of. Then there is the burden of hearing and delivering messages from God week after week. Don't ever think that these messages come easily for a pastor. If they are consistently Biblical, they require much hard work. Many tears are shed in a pastor's study over sermons that just won't come. If we feel spiritually dry we might skip church or come for renewal, but where can a pastor go?
-Despúes hay la preocupación de querer que su iglesia actuan mas como Jesús y de ser el luz del mundo. Pablo dijo a los gálatas (4:19), "¡por quienes vuelvo a sufrir dolores de parto, hasta que Cristo sea formado en vosotros!" No hay otra pesadilla mas en el corazon del pastor que se compara cuando su iglesia no crese en fe, amor o rectitud.
+Then there is the burden of wanting his people to act more like Jesus and be the light of the world. Paul said to the Galatians (4:19), "I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you!" Nothing weighs heavier on a pastor's heart than when his people don’t grow in faith, love, and righteousness.
-Ustedes pueden hacer listas del los pressiónes del pastor, pero ahora consideramos como podemos ministrar a nuestro pastor.
+You could all make a longer list of pastoral pressures, but now let's consider how we can minister to our pastor.
-Lo mejor manera para cargar los preocupaciónes de nuestro pastor es de ser un Cristiano.&nbsp; Pablo dice en Filipenses 2:2-3, "Completad mi gozo, sintiendo lo mismo, teniendo el mismo amor, unánimes, sintiendo una misma cosa.&nbsp; Nada hagáis por contienda o por vanagloria; antes bien con humildad, estimando cada uno a los demás como superiores a él mismo."&nbsp; En otra palabras, nada podra refresar nuestro pastor como un congregación que es humilde, amable, y como Cristo.&nbsp; Pablo dijo a la iglesia Romano, "Porque deseo veros … para ser mutuamente confortados por la fe que nos es común a vosotros" (1:11-12).  Nuestra fe es un animo grande para nuestro pastor. Entonces hacemos una iglesia de creyentes.
+The best way to bear the burden of your pastor is to be a Christian. Paul said in Philippians 2:2-3, "Complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from rivalry or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves." In other words, nothing will refresh our pastor like a humble, loving, Christ-like congregation. Paul said to the Roman church, "I long to see you … that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith" (1:11-12). Our faith is a source of great encouragement to our pastor. So let's be a believing people.
-Aun así, tengo tres sugerencias que podemos hacer para ayudar a nuestro pastor y aumentar los frutos de su ministerio.
+Besides this, I have three specific suggestions of things we can do to build our pastor up and increase the fruitfulness of his ministry.
-#Oramos por el diario. Escribalo asi no te lo olvides. Y no solo digas, "Señor bendice al pastor.” sea especifico. Ora por su sanidad, su mensaje, su visitación, su errores y debilidades. Ahora ponte en su lugar y tratar de sentir a el mientras que estas orando.
+#Pray for him every day. Write it down so you don't forget. And don't just say, "God bless the pastor.” Be specific. Pray for his health, his messages, his family, his visiting, his flaws and weaknesses. Put yourself in his place and try to feel with him as you pray.
-#Segundo, haz todo lo posible para dicirle unas palabras de animo. Escriba una nota en la carta de registración, manda una tarjeta a su casa de ves en cuando; hablale por telefono. Habla con el a solos, miralo en su cara y dile, "Aprecio su trabajo, pastor, y estoy orando por ti diario."No estes contento con solo hablarle despues del servicio de Domingo.
+#Second, go out of your way to say some gracious words of encouragement. Write him a note on the registration card, send a letter now and then to his home; call him up on the phone. Get him alone sometime, look him right in the face, and say, "I appreciate your work, pastor, and I am praying for you every day." Don't be satisfied with platitudes at the door after Sunday services.
-#Tercera, hablale en un espiritu de perdonar. Nunca he hablado con alguien que esta completamente satisfecho con su pastor. Hay un simple razon: Todo hombre es imperfecto. Algunas personas nunca comprenden eso y van de iglesia a iglesia en busqueda del pastor perfecto. Eso es imposible. Es mucho mas importante de encontar una iglesia que puedes sentir en casa y considerarte tu responsabilidad para ayudar al crecemiento de su pastor.  Todos nosotros deseamos cambiar algo de su pastor, pero cuantos de nosotros hemos orado sobre esta cosa? Y cuantos han sentado con el y con un espiritu humilde y perdonado han hecho el petición de cambio? Sí deveras amamos a el lo hacemos ... y no es tan dificil de hablar con el.
+#Third, admonish him in a spirit of forgiveness. I have never talked to anyone in my life who is completely satisfied with his pastor. There is a very simple reason: All men are imperfect. Some people never seem to learn this. and they hop from church to church in search of the flawless pastor. That's hopeless. It is far better to find a church where you feel at home and to consider it your lifelong responsibility to help the pastor grow. Everyone would like to change something about his pastor, but how many of us have devoted ourselves to earnest prayer about that thing? And how many have sat down with him and with a humble, forgiving spirit admonished him to change? If we love him we will do it ... and he is not all that scary to talk to.
-Esos son unas maneras en como podemos ministrar a su pastor. Ahora piensa en otras.
+Those are just some of the ways to minister to your pastor. You think of others.
-El ultimo pregunta que hice, que podemos esperar como el resultado de nuestro ministerio?  Podemos esperar un pastor que esta refrescado, optimista y listo para trabajar.  Aun asi nuestro ministerio regresera a nosotros y creara gente que estan refrescado, optimista y listo para trabajar. Entonces el mundo sabra que Cristo es real y esta trabajando en nosotros.
+The final question I raised was, what can we hope for as a result of our ministry? In short, we can hope for a refreshed, hopeful, invigorated pastor. Thus our ministry to him will come back to us like a boomerang and will create a refreshed, hopeful, and invigorated people. Then the world will know that Christ is real and is at work among us.
-[[Category:Top_priority]]
+[[Category:Top priority]]

Ministering to Your Pastor

From Gospel Translations

Revision as of 14:58, 22 May 2009

By John Piper About Church Issues

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