PASTORAL MINISTRY: ADVICE TO PREACHER

PREACHING AND ADVICE TO PREACHERS WHO PREACH AT OUR CHURCH

SO WHAT IS THE RIGHT WAY TO BE A PASTOR, AND BE RIGHT AS A PASTOR?

part six

Knowing the right way, and doing the right things, is the key, and most difficult to accomplish.

HERE IS SOME ADVICE I WILL GIVE TO THOSE WHO WE ASK TO SPEAK IN OUR CHURCH

Here is some advice, the ministry is not a game, this is not politics, this is not fun and games, and this is not to be taking light hearted. We will be accountable to Christ for our words and actions.

I want to make sure I am going to be honest with anyone who desires and I ask to preach in our church, as much as possible. Now I do have a few concerns. There are purposes that God has calls preachers. There are reasons preachers are God's under shepherds in the church. Preachers, Elders, Pastors have a personal responsibility to the Lord in their duties as pastor of a church, and I take that responsibility seriously.

Here is my advice, what comments you make to one preacher or pastor make sure you don't make the opposite comments to others. Don't play up,( if I might use that term) to get on their good side. With me that is not necessary. While I might like someone, that doesn't mean that I can automatic ask them to preach for us. There are reasons why I need to know the person and know what he believes and how he preaches. He has to respect our church position, our church members. He needs to be a Man of God first and foremost.

ONE: As a pastor I have a responsibility to Christ first, than the church. Therefore in this matter of letting someone preach is an important issue.

TWO: I consider my self a Fundamentalist, Evangelical, Independent Baptist preacher. But that doesn't mean I fit the mode. I don't preach like many fundamentalists, independent, Baptist preachers. I don't always agree with their methodology of preaching. I am not KJV only. I believe in the doctrines of Grace. I don't agree that a preacher controls the church, and he is LORD of the church. I do not agree that a preacher has any authority other than the Word of God. He is to be a leader and give directions to the church, and disciple others to be like Christ. I don't believe preaching should make people feel guilty if they don't do the things that the preacher thinks they should do. I believe that your preaching should presence what the Word of God is saying in the text and then allow the Holy Spirit convict the believer.

THREE: What Rivers of Joy Baptist Church were under the last several preachers, have their place, and they have done some good things. But as their pastor now, I am taking the church in another direction, as they know and have agreed with. Therefore those who preach will need to know that.

• In other words I would not want a guest preacher get up and say, "I am a KJV only preacher and if preachers are not they are not right we God." While I preach out of the KJV, that is I read from the KJV, I will quote from time to time from other versions.


• I do not want a guest preacher get up and say, "If you are not a "soul winner" you are not a good Christian." As an illustration of what you think a Chrsitians should do. If it is in the text preach it, if it is not, don't preach it.


• I do not want a guest preacher to get up and rage about what he believes a Christian should do or not do. I really am not interesting in what he wants people to do, I want the preacher to tell me what the Word of God, in the text he is preaching from says.
  
  To have a guest preacher get up and say the opposite of what I am teaching to the membership would not be very wise. We all have different view points that would be okay, but not to undermine what I have been teaching.

FIVE: I can ask someone to speak that has some different points of view about ministry and even some doctrinal issues, but what he says needs to be from the text of the Word of God. He may have a different interpretation on some text, that is okay, but needs to be presented in a manner that would give thought.

SIMPLY STATED, THE PREACHING AND TEACHING SHOULD BE BIBLICAL, AND SCRIPTURAL FROM THE WORD OF GOD, AND THEOLOGICAL SOUND. AND YOU PREACH CHRIST, AND NOT PREACHING AT THE PEOPLE BUT TO THE PEOPLE.

The advice here in this post, is first directed to myself. I need to heed the advice. I need to be the right kind of pastor/teacher/elder for the church, and above all Jesus Christ.

The saints and servants in our church are too important to God's kingdom work, not to be the best possible servant that I can be.