Let’s try to define the role of the pastor in the church of Christ. Let’s take as the foundation Eph.4:11-12. There is a very delicate border between the responsibility of a pastor as a person, who leads the sheep of Jesus, and the pastor, who takes on himself the role of Jesus. There are many reasons for that. Here we shall regard a part of them. According to Ephesians 4:11-12 God defined for the pastor a role to equip the church, God’s people, to do His work. That’s why a human question: «Who is your pastor?» sounds incorrect. It contains a trap, a mixture of concepts and responsibilities of believers, pastors and the Head Pastor of all of us — Jesus Christ. We love to say: «Lord is my Pastor, I will have everything I need!» But then who is the earthly pastor in relation to us?
Firstly, Jesus has purchased us exclusively for Himself — this is the foundation. And we don’t belong to ourselves. Naturally, it wasn’t by mistake that he called Himself our pastor John chapter 10. And the task and role of the earthly pastor is to connect me with my real pastor — Jesus. My earthly pastor has to teach me how to walk with Jesus, how to communicate with Him, how to get revelations and to be obedient, how to get the answers for your needs, and how to get solutions for your problems. At this, your pastor must be as a transparent wall, so that you could see a reflection of Jesus through it. And if an earthly pastor claims to take the role of Christ on himself — it’s a problem, etc. And one of the reasons, why pastors behave like this, is the wrong pattern, taken from the Old Covenant — it’s the image of Moses. Moses was a pastor to Jews. But his place was taken by Jesus, not by human pastors. The earthly pastors are praying for people, serving people, showing them God’s love, but nevertheless, their basic function is to be a kind of a «guide-post», showing people to Jesus, at the best they can do it. And an earthly pastor must be the one who takes people — some of them by hand, some of them by ear — into Jesus’ presence, under His obedience, into communication with Him etc. Our God is a jealous God, and he will not give us to anyone just as a present. And we have to understand it. And if somebody stands between us and Jesus, this person will have problems. But some problems are connected with believers as well. Do you remember, how Jews didn’t want to seek God by themselves, but they sent to Him Moses instead, telling him that «you go, and that’s all, and then you tell us all you have heard from God». Just be our intermediary. Tell us what He says, and we shall follow your words! But we will not go to Him by ourselves! But who is the mediator between us and the Father today? It’s Jesus! And do you think that a modern church of today (believers) is somehow different from the Jews? No, not for a jot! Just as the jews of the old times, modern christians also don’t want to come to God and to live by their faith and by their knowledge of God’s will. And sometimes, when a pastor «shakes them off» from his shoulders, they get indignant and say, that he is not from God. Or that he doesn’t have God’s love.
In practice, it looks like this, for example. I came to the church, was born again and got some knowledge about God. Then I was taught to hear His voice. Then I was taught to feed on His Word and on His Spirit. Then I was shown a personal example, etc. But nobody leads me to salvation for all my life long. This is the role of Christ, not of man. But what are the functions of a human pastor? He always transfers an intent gaze of his sheep from himself onto their real pastor — Jesus Christ. He makes it thorough preaching to them and showing them Jesus’ real coordinates in the Word. That is, at home you prayed and stayed in the Word — and you received a revelation. And a sermon exists for you to compare your compass (of walking with Him) with what your pastor in the church is preaching. That’s all. I remember how the pastor of the church I was attending told us, that he was fasting for a long time in order to receive a word from God for the church. That’s exactly how it was with Moses, who went to the mountain to get a word from God. This is a delusion of the pastor and taking on himself the functions of Christ. A pastor mustn’t all-time long get the word from Him, in order to pass it over to you (just like it was with Moses). You have to do it personally, on your own. And as for the pastor, he is only the guide-post for your relationships with the Father; he must point out to Jesus and correct your relationships with Him. And he is the one who is always leading (someone by the hand, another by the ear) to the mediator between us and God — Jesus Christ! He is your real pastor! Frankly speaking, the guides themselves (pastors) often go too far, and don’t let their sheep come to their real pastor -Jesus Christ — directly. What did Luther do? He boldly took the Gospel out of the hands of high priests and handed it over to simple believers (he mechanically did away with a spare mediator). But not all believers were happy to see that, for the image of the pastor like Moses is more close to their hearts. Alas! Such is the reality, my dear! There are believers, who are a 100% ready to do the will of a pastor (to stay in human obedience). But they will never be guided by the Holy Spirit, and never be led by their own faith. Because a pastor’s faith — it’s his personal guidance, his personal walking with Jesus, and it will never replace your personal walking with Him. Amen!!
A SITE FOR SEEKERS OF GOD’S WILL Homepage Foundation of faith God’s will Prayer Discipleship Spiritual warfare Fast How to read the Bible Faith Dedication Think, Talk and Act Like God Cancellation of the Old Testament Parables of Jesus WHAT WE HAVE TO REMEMBER WHILE READING THE BIBLE THE IMPORTANCE
All rights reserved