Introduction
Today we celebrate Pastor’s Appreciation Day. And there is much to celebrate. Between our three full-time pastors we celebrate a combined total of 75 years in the role of ministry between associate pastoring, senior pastoring, and youth pastoring. It is my honor to stand before you today and help honor our senior and associate pastors, Pastor Sparks and Pastor Shinkle. Working in the ministry these last 7 years at DBC, I’ve worked alongside both of these men and Travis Gilbert as well, gleaning the incredible privilege to be pruned, discipled, and trained in ministry by these great men. I can say without hesitation this morning that we have two great pastors at DBC.
But this morning is not about them entirely. Although we honor and celebrate the faithful years of service they have spent in ministerial positions, my goal, my focus this morning is to give you a backstage pass so to speak into the life of a pastor. I believe as a church we can better minister to our pastors by better understanding their lives as ministers – the ups and the downs. To begin, please turn with me to the book of 2 Corinthians where we will study the Word of God this morning. The pastoral ministry is not an easy job. In fact, if you were to tell a pastor before he signed up to become one that he would experience heartache, depression, anxiety, fear, grief, remorse, a heavy heart, feelings of worthlessness, rejection, hurt from those closest to him, you probably couldn’t pay the man enough to make him want to take the job. It’s not surprise that the average tenure of a pastor by the latest Barna research group study is just 4 years. What could make it so short? I’ll share.
But this morning is not about them entirely. Although we honor and celebrate the faithful years of service they have spent in ministerial positions, my goal, my focus this morning is to give you a backstage pass so to speak into the life of a pastor. I believe as a church we can better minister to our pastors by better understanding their lives as ministers – the ups and the downs. To begin, please turn with me to the book of 2 Corinthians where we will study the Word of God this morning. The pastoral ministry is not an easy job. In fact, if you were to tell a pastor before he signed up to become one that he would experience heartache, depression, anxiety, fear, grief, remorse, a heavy heart, feelings of worthlessness, rejection, hurt from those closest to him, you probably couldn’t pay the man enough to make him want to take the job. It’s not surprise that the average tenure of a pastor by the latest Barna research group study is just 4 years. What could make it so short? I’ll share.
The Burdens of Pastoral Ministry
There are few things more hurtful to a pastor in his ministry than to witness and watch the effects of sin in people’s lives – broken relationships, shattered marriages, wayward children. All of these produce intense suffering and deep sorrow in the lives of those affected and involved, including the pastor. And even more compounding to this sorrow is witnessing the suffering believers go through due to the consequences of their own sinful conduct in the church under which a pastor is given the privilege to shepherd in his ministry.
Though richly rewarding in many ways, the pastor ministry is difficult, grueling, long, and costly. It’s not the cushy job that some would think it is. To spend time in an office, pouring over God’s Word in preparation for an upcoming service, is only the tip of the iceberg. Much more time outside of the office is often spent on phone calls, personal visits, studying, counseling, planning, administrating, preparing, and praying over the ministries of his church, and the lives of his sheep.
Any pastor worth his salt in ministry does not take this task, this calling lightly. And ministry is not for the faint of heart by any stretch of the imagination. To properly interpret the Word of God, understand theology, edify believers, and refute those in error requires diligent, hard labor. Proving to be an example to the flock, developing and training leaders, admonishing the unruly, encouraging the fainthearted, and helping the weak as 1 Thessalonians 5:14 explains all take their toll on a pastor. There are always those thoughts in the back of a pastor’s mind – “If only I had prayed more today”….”If only I had spent more time studying today for this message”….”If only I could have visited more people today”…..”If only I had more energy today”……”If only I had a little more encouragement today….things might be different.”
But perhaps the most difficult and painful aspect of ministry in any pastor’s life resides in the conflicts that may arise in the relationships between the shepherd and the sheep. All pastors know the hurt that comes when those in whom they have invested the most return the least. I have learned such sorrow in my own ministry this year. And when these situations, these heartaches occur, it’s all a pastor can do to not take the hurt personally.
People leave the church. People get mad at the pastor and leave the church. People fall into sin. People miss out on the blessings of God in their lives. And it’s during these times in a pastor’s ministry that one would self-evaluate and say, “Did I tell them enough? Did I show them enough? Did I pray for them enough? Did I love them enough?” – when the pastor may not be the reason to blame by any stretch of the imagination. This is what brings us to 2 Corinthians 7:5-16 this morning.
Though richly rewarding in many ways, the pastor ministry is difficult, grueling, long, and costly. It’s not the cushy job that some would think it is. To spend time in an office, pouring over God’s Word in preparation for an upcoming service, is only the tip of the iceberg. Much more time outside of the office is often spent on phone calls, personal visits, studying, counseling, planning, administrating, preparing, and praying over the ministries of his church, and the lives of his sheep.
Any pastor worth his salt in ministry does not take this task, this calling lightly. And ministry is not for the faint of heart by any stretch of the imagination. To properly interpret the Word of God, understand theology, edify believers, and refute those in error requires diligent, hard labor. Proving to be an example to the flock, developing and training leaders, admonishing the unruly, encouraging the fainthearted, and helping the weak as 1 Thessalonians 5:14 explains all take their toll on a pastor. There are always those thoughts in the back of a pastor’s mind – “If only I had prayed more today”….”If only I had spent more time studying today for this message”….”If only I could have visited more people today”…..”If only I had more energy today”……”If only I had a little more encouragement today….things might be different.”
But perhaps the most difficult and painful aspect of ministry in any pastor’s life resides in the conflicts that may arise in the relationships between the shepherd and the sheep. All pastors know the hurt that comes when those in whom they have invested the most return the least. I have learned such sorrow in my own ministry this year. And when these situations, these heartaches occur, it’s all a pastor can do to not take the hurt personally.
People leave the church. People get mad at the pastor and leave the church. People fall into sin. People miss out on the blessings of God in their lives. And it’s during these times in a pastor’s ministry that one would self-evaluate and say, “Did I tell them enough? Did I show them enough? Did I pray for them enough? Did I love them enough?” – when the pastor may not be the reason to blame by any stretch of the imagination. This is what brings us to 2 Corinthians 7:5-16 this morning.
The Burdens of Paul’s Ministry
Did you know that the great Apostle Paul struggled with these same problems and heartaches I just mentioned moments ago? Yes, the great Paul who penned by divine inspiration over half of the New Testament we have today had heartaches and sorrow throughout his ministry. As the Apostle Paul pens 2 Corinthians, he is nursing his own broken heart over a church he loved and cared for dearly. While dealing with severe external pressures, afflictions and suffering, he pens in chapter 1 – “4Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God. 6And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation. 8For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life:” – Wow! That’s quite a statement. He was despaired (depressed) over his own life at this point in his ministry.
He even goes on to explain in verse 9-10, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”
Look over with me in chapter 4:8-12. Listen to how Paul describes himself. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12So then death worketh in us, but life in you.”
Later in chapter 11 Paul records all the physical afflictions he had suffered over his time in ministry (beatings, imprisonments, stoning, threatening, etc.) but says in verse 28, “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” Regardless of his own physical issues, his main concern was for the churches he so selflessly nurtured and ministered to. Sadly, the Corinthian church, a church he spent almost two years of his life on had repaid him with disloyalty. They had allowed false teachers into their fold that attacked Paul’s character and ministry. Some of the Corinthians united against him. One of those members apparently verbally assaulted and abused Paul as recorded in chapter 2. The fact that the majority of the church didn’t defend him from these attacks hurt him even more, and as a result we have the written letter of 2 Corinthians, a sternly worded letter rebuking the congregation for their mistreatment and lack of love toward him.
But Paul did the right thing. With much anguish and hesitation, he wrote 2 Corinthians to a church that needed to hear it. And as he waited anxiously for their reply from Titus (his messenger to Corinth at the time) he describes an inward and outward struggle in verse 5 of chapter 7. “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.”
But comfort and encouragement came for Paul upon Titus’ return. Paul was comforted in six different ways through the information Paul received at the mouth of Titus upon his return to Macedonia where Paul had been staying. Today, I want to challenge DBC to minister to the heart of their pastors by following the Corinthians example in these four areas. Let’s look at them together in verses 6-16. These four areas outline the relationship every church should have with its pastor(s) respectively.
He even goes on to explain in verse 9-10, “But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 10Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;”
Look over with me in chapter 4:8-12. Listen to how Paul describes himself. “We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; 9Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; 10Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. 11For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh. 12So then death worketh in us, but life in you.”
Later in chapter 11 Paul records all the physical afflictions he had suffered over his time in ministry (beatings, imprisonments, stoning, threatening, etc.) but says in verse 28, “Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.” Regardless of his own physical issues, his main concern was for the churches he so selflessly nurtured and ministered to. Sadly, the Corinthian church, a church he spent almost two years of his life on had repaid him with disloyalty. They had allowed false teachers into their fold that attacked Paul’s character and ministry. Some of the Corinthians united against him. One of those members apparently verbally assaulted and abused Paul as recorded in chapter 2. The fact that the majority of the church didn’t defend him from these attacks hurt him even more, and as a result we have the written letter of 2 Corinthians, a sternly worded letter rebuking the congregation for their mistreatment and lack of love toward him.
But Paul did the right thing. With much anguish and hesitation, he wrote 2 Corinthians to a church that needed to hear it. And as he waited anxiously for their reply from Titus (his messenger to Corinth at the time) he describes an inward and outward struggle in verse 5 of chapter 7. “For, when we were come into Macedonia, our flesh had no rest, but we were troubled on every side; without were fightings, within were fears.”
But comfort and encouragement came for Paul upon Titus’ return. Paul was comforted in six different ways through the information Paul received at the mouth of Titus upon his return to Macedonia where Paul had been staying. Today, I want to challenge DBC to minister to the heart of their pastors by following the Corinthians example in these four areas. Let’s look at them together in verses 6-16. These four areas outline the relationship every church should have with its pastor(s) respectively.
A Church’s Ministry To Its Pastor
The first of these seven areas is LOYALTY – “7And not by his coming only, but by the consolation wherewith he was comforted in you, when he told us your earnest desire, your mourning, your fervent mind toward me; so that I rejoiced the more.” Titus reported to Paul three specific characteristics of the Corinthians renewed loyalty to Paul by their earnest desire, their mourning, and their fervent mind (zeal) towards him. Out of a harsh letter that needed to be written to a wayward church, Paul sees their desire to see him again, their sorrow for how they had treated him, and a zeal to love him more and defend him from future attacks. By doing this they responded correctly to Paul and to God. They reaffirmed their loyalty to him realizing their disloyalty was a sin against God, the one who put Paul in his position.
How’s your loyalty to your pastor? I don’t ask you to glorify or deify the man of God, but respectfully honor those whom God has placed in charge to shepherd the flock you are a part of. Do you speak highly of your pastor? Do you question his judgment without seeking his counsel? Do you edify your pastor or criticize his actions? Do you seek him out for answers about the Scriptures, wanting to hear his insight on how a verse of Scripture applies to a given situation? How’s your loyalty to your pastor? Secondly, we see in the Corinthian church the act of
REPENTANCE – “8For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
Paul new that he has caused sorrow in the Corinthians lives by writing the letter. And he did experience inner turmoil over it “I do not repent, though I did repent…” but he knew that confronting sin was more important than their feelings at the time. Sometimes confronting sin requires going beyond what love and compassion are comfortable with. But it’s necessary, because sin is a deadly killer. The sorrow that the Corinthians experienced was Godly sorrow for their sin.
There are times in the ministry when a pastor has to confront sin in his people. Sin crouches at the door of someone’s heart, false teachers are everywhere, and Satan is constantly trying to destroy the work of God. The faithful pastor must not and cannot shrink from his responsibility to faithfully preach the word of God, calling his people to Scriptural obedience in hopes that Godly sorrow will do the work on someone’s heart towards true repentance. Do you repent over sin when it confronts you through the preaching of the Word? Do you let your pastor pour his heart out to simply ignore his passionate pleading for your Godly living? What do you do when conviction grips your heart over the preaching of the Word? Repentance over sin encourages a pastor’s heart for the work of God.
Thirdly, we see the Corinthians exercise PURITY in verse 11 – “11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
I know the word “purity” is not in this verse, but look at the phrase “have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” The word used in this phrase is “Hagnos” which implies being innocent or being pure. The Corinthians show how truly repentant they were over their sin by exercising purity in their walk with the Lord to abstain from those sins in the future. This true repentance produced “carefulness” in them, “clearing of yourselves” meaning vindication (righting the wrong), “indignation” meaning strong disgust or righteous anger over their sin, as well as fear, desire, zeal and revenge (righting the wrong). Do these words describe us as Christians when we repent of sin? How encouraging it is to the heart of a pastor to see these characteristics lived out as we live lives of purity before God, walking in truth, forsaking sin. It might make your pastor think you’re listening to what he says on a given Sunday or Wednesday night message.
Fourthly is OBEDIENCE – “14For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 15And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.”
With a hope in his heart, Paul sent Titus to Corinth boasting that they would humbly and obediently accept his requests, and they would be humble hosts to Titus during his stay. They didn’t’ let Paul down. By seeing how the Corinthians took Titus us with fear and trembling was complete evidence of their repentance to God for how they had previously treated Paul. Their willing obedience to the Word of God proved the genuineness of their repentance. When people are truly repentant, they submit themselves to the commandments of Scripture without hesitation, reluctance, or qualification. To have a congregation of such obedient people to the Word of God brings great joy to its leaders.
My friends, do you actively engage yourself in being obedient to God’s Word? When Truth is proclaimed and explained clearly through the study and preparation of one of your pastors, what is your response? Do you say “Yes Lord” or rather “Perhaps Lord”. If you want to be not only a faithful follower of Christ, but an encouragement to your pastor, be an obedient Christian.
How’s your loyalty to your pastor? I don’t ask you to glorify or deify the man of God, but respectfully honor those whom God has placed in charge to shepherd the flock you are a part of. Do you speak highly of your pastor? Do you question his judgment without seeking his counsel? Do you edify your pastor or criticize his actions? Do you seek him out for answers about the Scriptures, wanting to hear his insight on how a verse of Scripture applies to a given situation? How’s your loyalty to your pastor? Secondly, we see in the Corinthian church the act of
REPENTANCE – “8For though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent, though I did repent: for I perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a season. 9Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner, that ye might receive damage by us in nothing. 10For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.”
Paul new that he has caused sorrow in the Corinthians lives by writing the letter. And he did experience inner turmoil over it “I do not repent, though I did repent…” but he knew that confronting sin was more important than their feelings at the time. Sometimes confronting sin requires going beyond what love and compassion are comfortable with. But it’s necessary, because sin is a deadly killer. The sorrow that the Corinthians experienced was Godly sorrow for their sin.
There are times in the ministry when a pastor has to confront sin in his people. Sin crouches at the door of someone’s heart, false teachers are everywhere, and Satan is constantly trying to destroy the work of God. The faithful pastor must not and cannot shrink from his responsibility to faithfully preach the word of God, calling his people to Scriptural obedience in hopes that Godly sorrow will do the work on someone’s heart towards true repentance. Do you repent over sin when it confronts you through the preaching of the Word? Do you let your pastor pour his heart out to simply ignore his passionate pleading for your Godly living? What do you do when conviction grips your heart over the preaching of the Word? Repentance over sin encourages a pastor’s heart for the work of God.
Thirdly, we see the Corinthians exercise PURITY in verse 11 – “11For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.”
I know the word “purity” is not in this verse, but look at the phrase “have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.” The word used in this phrase is “Hagnos” which implies being innocent or being pure. The Corinthians show how truly repentant they were over their sin by exercising purity in their walk with the Lord to abstain from those sins in the future. This true repentance produced “carefulness” in them, “clearing of yourselves” meaning vindication (righting the wrong), “indignation” meaning strong disgust or righteous anger over their sin, as well as fear, desire, zeal and revenge (righting the wrong). Do these words describe us as Christians when we repent of sin? How encouraging it is to the heart of a pastor to see these characteristics lived out as we live lives of purity before God, walking in truth, forsaking sin. It might make your pastor think you’re listening to what he says on a given Sunday or Wednesday night message.
Fourthly is OBEDIENCE – “14For if I have boasted any thing to him of you, I am not ashamed; but as we spake all things to you in truth, even so our boasting, which I made before Titus, is found a truth. 15And his inward affection is more abundant toward you, whilst he remembereth the obedience of you all, how with fear and trembling ye received him.”
With a hope in his heart, Paul sent Titus to Corinth boasting that they would humbly and obediently accept his requests, and they would be humble hosts to Titus during his stay. They didn’t’ let Paul down. By seeing how the Corinthians took Titus us with fear and trembling was complete evidence of their repentance to God for how they had previously treated Paul. Their willing obedience to the Word of God proved the genuineness of their repentance. When people are truly repentant, they submit themselves to the commandments of Scripture without hesitation, reluctance, or qualification. To have a congregation of such obedient people to the Word of God brings great joy to its leaders.
My friends, do you actively engage yourself in being obedient to God’s Word? When Truth is proclaimed and explained clearly through the study and preparation of one of your pastors, what is your response? Do you say “Yes Lord” or rather “Perhaps Lord”. If you want to be not only a faithful follower of Christ, but an encouragement to your pastor, be an obedient Christian.
CONCLUSION
In a message I preached to our student ministry back in the spring, I made this my theme statement for the evening…SIN AFFECTS EVERYONE. I bring this theme up because as I share with you true heart of pastors, YOUR pastors, this phrase is true as well. The ministry can be a very lonely place. And that is why encouragement and help are so important in the life of a pastor. Think about how your pastor feels when each week he pours his heart out before you for the glory of God for the salvation of souls, and no one is stirred enough to make a public decision or trust Christ as their Savior.
The ministry is hard…..but God is SO faithful. Whenever I am down, I go back to this verse of Scripture and repeat it back to myself. “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” – 1 Timothy 1:12. Ministry is a privilege, not a cakewalk. In a world where the average tenure for pastors is 4 years or less, churches have a job to do. Encouragement goes a long way. By being a blessing to your pastor, you can receive a blessing from your pastor as he continues his passionate pursuit of ministry. Today, take the time to honor your pastors. Love them, remind yourself to pray for them, encourage them, learn from them, help them in any way you can. I firmly believe with all my heart, the more a church loves the Lord, the more that church loves its pastors.
But let me also challenge you this morning – we all need a pastor’s heart. We all need to grieve over sin. To pray for others, to study the word of God, to defend the truth, to rebuke false teaching, to comfort those who need comfort, to edify those who are cast down. Will you accept the challenge to not only love your pastors as God desires you to, but to love others with a pastor’s heart? Let’s pray.
The ministry is hard…..but God is SO faithful. Whenever I am down, I go back to this verse of Scripture and repeat it back to myself. “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.” – 1 Timothy 1:12. Ministry is a privilege, not a cakewalk. In a world where the average tenure for pastors is 4 years or less, churches have a job to do. Encouragement goes a long way. By being a blessing to your pastor, you can receive a blessing from your pastor as he continues his passionate pursuit of ministry. Today, take the time to honor your pastors. Love them, remind yourself to pray for them, encourage them, learn from them, help them in any way you can. I firmly believe with all my heart, the more a church loves the Lord, the more that church loves its pastors.
But let me also challenge you this morning – we all need a pastor’s heart. We all need to grieve over sin. To pray for others, to study the word of God, to defend the truth, to rebuke false teaching, to comfort those who need comfort, to edify those who are cast down. Will you accept the challenge to not only love your pastors as God desires you to, but to love others with a pastor’s heart? Let’s pray.
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