Pastor or Preacher? (Part 2)
By Dr. Robert Straube
Characteristics of a Pastor
The pastor will function as preacher when feeling a sense of urgency for his church and people, and when exhorting them to apply the truth he has taught. There are specific characteristics in the heart of a pastor that may not be prevalent in the other ministry or office gifts.
1. Pastors must be able to teach. The pastor is always a teacher. His heart is to teach and instruct his people. It has often been pointed out that in Ephesians 4:11, "He gave some ... as pastors and teachers", is one gift. There may be teachers given to the church that are not pastors, but a pastor is always a teacher.
2. Pastors must feed the flock. Peter said, "Feed the flock of God which is among you" (1 Peter 5:2 KJV). One of the Pastor's primary jobs is to feed his people the word. Where a teacher may have a specific thrust in his teaching, a pastor seeks to feed his people a balanced diet of the Word. Paul as an Apostle, functioning often as a Pastor, said, "For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God" (Acts 20:27 KJV). This is why a pastor will usually be an expositor of the Word and frequently teach through entire books of the Bible.
3. Pastors must shepherd the flock. The pastor is a shepherd. "Feed" in both Acts 20:27 and 1 Peter 5:2 can be translated as shepherd. Peter goes on to say, "exercising oversight" (1 Peter 5:2 NASB). The pastor or shepherd is to be the primary overseer of the church and the elders under shepherds, with Jesus being the Chief Shepherd (1 Peter 5:4 and 2:25). The pastor is to exercise oversight over the body and all the ministries of the church, much of which may be delegated.
4. Pastors must protect the flock from false teachers and doctrines. Paul warned the Ephesians elders upon his departure, "Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:28-30 NASB).
Pastors are to protect his people from wolves (false teachers). This is why one of the pastor's primary jobs is to teach. His is to teach and equip his people with sound doctrine so they are ready when someone attempts to bring in false doctrine, "speaking perverse things."
Notice, "from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them" (Acts 20:30 NASB). There are often those from among the body that will arise to attempt to steal disciples out from under the pastor. It will often come in the form of, "what do you think about this?" "I'm not sure I agree with what the Pastor said here." "What do you think about the decision the leadership made?" It most generally begins with casting doubt in the people's heart concerning the pastor and/or leadership. This is where division usually begins in the body - the tongue (James 3:5-6).
To be continued...
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