The Local Church Pastor
Tonight we will begin a short series on the benefits of being a member of a local church. The topics in this series will cover subjects like the pastor, a body in which to grow and function (Eph 4:11-16), fellowship and mutual support through prayer and giving (Acts 2:42-45), a place to bring unsaved friends to hear the gospel (1 Cor 14:24-25), missions (Acts 13:2-4; 2 Cor 8-9), etc.
Tonight we’re going to discuss the benefit of having a pastor.
A pastor who cares for you, 1 Thes 2:7-8. Though Paul was a preacher of the gospel and a “church planter”, his relationship with churches, like the Thessalonians, was like a pastor. He treated them with such care he compared himself to a nurse.
He said, we “imparted unto you… our own souls, because ye were dear unto us”, 1 Thes 2:8. Deep down, a good pastor loves and cares for you. Sometimes he even demonstrates his love by being very direct and stern with you. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend”, Prov 27:6. “As an earring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear”, Prov 25:12.
A pastor who feeds you, 1 Pet 5:3-4. A good pastor will get the messages from God that he wants his people to have. Your pastor desires to see you grow spiritually and grow closer to God. He helps you in your relationship with the Lord; he doesn’t try to insert himself between you.
Ensamples to the flock are pastors who recognize that they are sheep, too, just like the rest of the members. And they live by the things they preach.
A pastor who protects you, Acts 20:29-31. Notice the context of these verses in v.28. A pastor takes heed to himself while he feeds the flock. He must nourish himself in the word of God so that he can feed the flock.
Paul’s presence in Ephesus was a deterrent to keep wolves from entering in among them. And he also kept men from drawing away disciples after themselves. These two problems are common in churches. And a good pastor protects his sheep from these men who hurt church members and churches.
A pastor who prays for you, 1 Thes 1:2. Because a pastor is with his people regularly and often, individually, when he counsels and visits members, he knows how to pray for them. And in most cases he prays with them. In every epistle Paul wrote, he mentions praying for the folks to whom he was writing.
Conclusion: You cannot enjoy these benefits of having a pastor apart from being a member of a local church. One wonderful blessing of being a good church member is that you get to have a pastor who cares for you, feeds you, protects you, and prays for you.