(originally posted: 11-09-2021)
The church is sinking into the shifting sands of society, its footings are being washed out from under us, and in part because we’ve forgotten something. Now, we have many problems and issues, but many of them track back to pretty much, one thing. One thing that we have forgotten, one thing that we “the church” have lost sight of.
That one thing can be encapsulated in a great old phrase, one that was once held up like a banner by the church, generation after generation, one that was actually lived out by the majority of the church. That phrase is this:
The Work Of The Lord.
The Work of the Lord. C’mon, say it with me: The Work, of the Lord!
How many of you under 50 years old even remember that phrase? How many of you OVER 50 remember it even now?
Once it was common among us, it was as much a daily affirmation, as it was an adage “the church” proudly proclaimed to be a part of: The Work Of The Lord.
Can you feel how that phrase permeates the air about us, that something important relating to God is so close, it’s nearly tangible – yet, it is just beyond our fingertips?
Now, there is the work of the Lord, and then, there is the work of the Lord – two separate yet connected things that ultimately bear the same standard. But today, we are not here to talk about the “Work of the Lord” as God’s Work on earth among us, HIS WORK is actually already done, but we still are expected to gird ourselves for the battles He has placed in front of us.
And that, brothers and sisters – while it does not end with Pastors – does begin there! Everywhere within the church we NEED Pastors who are defined as doing, as leading in, The Work of the Lord.
What are Pastors in the church? What is their role? Titus and 1 Timothy lay out the basic rules pretty well; but truly, what are they, and who do they serve? I know who they are supposed to serve, and the sad fact is that across this country…it simply is NOT happening. No, I will not say that there are no dedicated, faithful men behind our pulpits, but they are few and they grow farther between every single day, as our churches are being deserted by those meant to care for them.
Where and how did this problem arise?
To answer that, we have to start at the beginning. To begin with…the root cause is men who have not been truly converted into adopted members of the family of God. Men who have not been redeemed and washed in the blood of the lamb of Holy God.
These are men who have walked the aisle, men who have asked Jesus into their hearts, men who have said the words, made the promises, but whose hearts remain things of stone, whose spirits remain dead in their breasts, men who have not been,..saved!
False converts cannot lead churches into vibrant God fearing, God honoring congregations ready to do battle against the forces of evil, all for the glory of Holy God, and nothing else!
Before all else, first and foremost, any man who would even entertain the possibility of leading God’s people – must…be…saved! You cannot lead others for God, unless you yourself are first truly led BY God. Period! To try and do so isn’t putting the cart before the horse so much as it is putting the driver ahead of the cart itself! It simply does not and cannot work.
Once Holy God has reached down and placed the light of His son within a man’s breast, brought him to life, pulled him away from the pits of eternal hell that awaited him, and made him His – THEN, and only then, can that man be CALLED by God into the ministry. Into doing – the Work of the Lord.
The work of the Lord – pastoral ministry is exactly that: a calling. It is NOT a job, it is NOT a vocation, it is NOT a career path, it is NOT a 5- step plan to get you where you want to be in your life in ten years.
You do NOT take a position as Pastor because it is a good gig, that will offer you further opportunities down the line. It is not that! It is a calling, and it, is enough. In fact, it is more than enough, and you will only, can only, accomplish it through the power of God Himself.
It is NOT a road to fulfill your dreams, your aspirations, to seek your visions, to move you up in income, status, or personal position. If it is so, even in the slightest – get out right NOW!
It is NOT a position for you to draw power and influence for yourself in any way, because – it is not about you! It is never going to be about you. It isn’t intended to ever be about you – period! It is about bringing glory to the King of Kings, nothing else, and if you do the job well, having him one day say, “Well done thou good and faithful servant”, those words being your only reward, and THAT reward will be completely fulfilling!
No other man has any business standing behind our pulpits, and we “the church”, must stop placing them there! We “the church” must demand the most rigorous of men, addicted to, and sold out wholly to God and nothing else to shepherd our flocks. Nothing else will do us any good, and we will only continue to reign destruction on ourselves by not pursuing THOSE men to lead our churches.
How many more flocks will we allow to be abandoned, cast off, and broken-hearted by yet another man who suddenly has a vision that sees him leaving behind the sheep he has been granted the honor of leading, while he chases after some personal quest of fulfillment, some dream of his own design?
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