Pastoral Leadership

Yesterday in my devotions I was in Hebrews 13:17. It is a very challenging and instructive passage about what a Pastor should be.

A Pastor of a church must keep watch. “Keep watch” comes from the greek word “agrypneo” which is used of a watchman on duty in a city. We look to for things and warn people concerning them.

But the thing today that really moved me was that the value of pastoral leadership depends on two things. The Pastor’s walk with Christ of course but also the submission of the members of the church to his leadership.

Submission to a Pastor is a scary thing to talk about in the church, but a Pastor who is following God, teaching people what God has told him to preach, only has a certain amount of value within itself. What maximizes its value is if the people in the church take those words and practices them in their lives. The church member is not “to just listen” to the word that they hear from a message, they are to live it as well.

The Bible teaches that following a Pastor that is following Christ is essential for the harmony and effective administration of the mission of the church.

Now… just to cover this…

The New Testament does not encourage undiscerning obedience to church leadership nor does it teach unintelligent submission. There are people who call themselves pastors that should not be followed. (Be careful however in your judgments concerning this)

But…

That number (of Pastors who should don’t be followed) is not as high as we make it at times…

and…

we must realize that unity will never happen when the people aren’t in tune with God or when the Pastor isn’t in tune with Him.

Unity comes when people follow and live the words of scripture that is being taught by a man that is a model of good works because He is following Jesus to the best of his ability…

and if he is following Jesus to the best of his ability the congregation should follow to the best of theirs.

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.” Hebrews 13:17

Note: This is not written because there is a problem I am having or anything like that. It was written today because when I read through this in my devotions today, it was a strong reminder of the type of person I need to be.