Pastoral Priorities – Introduction

Over the coming weeks I will be doing a series of blogs on what the priorities of a pastor are according to the Bible. We develop a lot of expectations for what is supposed to be in a lot of different ways. We develop them for example through our church traditions, through a beloved pastor, and through our own tastes and whims. Yet none of these things bear any authority if they disagree with the Word of God, therefore I intend to search the Word to discover what God has announced as our priorities.

My motives for such a study are as follows:

My first motive is for my own benefit as a Pastor. For any man to weather the storms that come during any ministry there must be a solid foundation and standard to base faithfulness on. Without that anchor when the storm comes the boat will simply be adrift and at the mercy of the winds. Yet if there is an anchor then a man can weather any storm. When the storm arrives he can look at his life and ministry and in an honest evaluation say I have to striven to do what is right and most important, I can be at peace.

My second motive is to encourage my brother pastors. Criticism and pressure come easily in the life of any church. If any of these men are facing these trials I want to give them a tool or method of evaluation that can encourage them to say, I have been faithful to my Lord whatever else may come I have done the main thing. And I promise you as a Pastor this is the thing that will bring greatest peace in the life of an embattled pastor.

My third motive is to give church members a way to better serve and follow their pastors. Once we know what our pastors priorities are then we can better pray for them. We can better free them up from unimportant tasks and then encourage them to focus on the essential tasks.

My fourth motive is to clear up some confusion. For example one of my favorite books by John Piper is Brothers, we are not professionals. In that book he attacks the professionalism that has set into the minds of many ministers and congregations. Ministry is not about skill sets and networking, it is about spiritual life and vitality. Listen to what Piper has to say; “there is no professional childlikeness (Matt. 18:3); there is no professional tenderheartedness (Eph. 4:32); there is no professional panting after God (Ps. 42:1)”

I am excited about these coming posts and I hope that you are as well.

God Bless.