The Ministry of the Word - Part 2
In the previous post, we saw how the one instruction Jesus gave to Simon Peter after His resurrection was to, “Feed my sheep”. This instruction was not just to Peter, but to everyone called to a pulpit ministry.
Your most important task as a minister of the gospel is to feed the flock of God.
Many years after Jesus had ascended to heaven, His instruction was still very much on Peter’s mind, and he passed the same instruction to other ministers of the gospel.
1 Peter 5 (KJ2000)
1 The elders who are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:
2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for dishonest gain, but of a ready mind;
3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being examples to the flock.
Jesus told us to feed the flock, Peter tells us to take the oversight and to be examples to the flock, while feeding the sheep. We will examine these instructions very closely in a subsequent post, but in this one let’s pay attention to the fact that the primary way to oversee (or pastor) a flock is by teaching the flock, and being an example of a good Christian to the flock.
Sometimes, the activities we associate with pastors are like icing on the cake. Icing sugar comes with the cake and makes it look (and some say taste) better, but icing sugar isn’t the cake. These activities come with the job, and the job would probably not look as nice without them, but those activities aren’t the core of the job. Some pastors are good at adding colour to weddings, christenings, funerals, house-warming, etc. They are the sort you would want to comfort you when you’re grieving, counsel you when you’re confused and correct you when you’ve made a big mess. But unless those pastors are overseeing your life by feeding you well, they are not being good pastors.
We’ve listened to Peter, let us listen to Paul:
Acts 20 (KJ2000)
17 And from Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the church.
18 And when they were come to him, he said unto them, You know, from the first day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with you at all times,
19 Serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears, and temptations, which befell me by the lying in wait of the Jews:
20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have showed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house,
21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ.
Paul’s audience is very similar to Peter’s – they both addressed “elders”. This reference was to those who had oversight responsibilities in the church, whether they had a call to stand in pulpit ministry or not.
Notice how Paul reminds the Ephesian elders that “he kept back nothing that was profitable to them”. Paul was able to make this claim because he had spent about 3 years teaching them the word. He claims that in these 3 years, he taught them everything that was profitable to them.
Acts 20 (KJ2000)
25 And now, behold, I know that you all, among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more.
26 Therefore I testify to you this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men.
27 For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he has purchased with his own blood.
29 For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
30 Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.
31 Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.
Paul reminds the elders of the church that the reason he was pure from the blood of all men is that he did not hesitate to declare to them all the counsel of God. I cannot stress this enough - no matter how caring you are as a minister of the gospel, no matter how much love you show to the flock, as long as you do not feed them well, you're not being a good minister to them.
Paul did not shy away from preaching or teaching on anything the Ephesian church needed to hear. The only solution to false teachers teaching false doctrine in the Body of Christ is to have genuine teachers teaching the truth. Quack doctors abound and thrive mostly where people cannot access qualified doctors.
A Side Note to Senior Pastors
As a Senior Pastor, you should take the responsibility for addressing so-called controversial issues in your church. Do not delegate this task to assistants or to itinerant ministers unless you have discussed your position on such issues with them and you are comfortable with their positions.
When you do not preach or teach on controversial issues, you run the risk that your flock will listen to others teach on those topics and believe whatever they hear out there.
A Side Note to Assistant Pastors and Itinerant Ministers
If there’s an issue that’s considered controversial in the Body of Christ, or in a church where you’re supposed to teach, it may be best for you to avoid it. Leave the task of addressing it to the Senior Pastor, unless he has specifically asked you to address it. There are many other topics you could preach on which would be a blessing to the Church.
Continue in grace!
Thank you sir, the teaching is indeed very insightful.
More grace in Jesus name