A Tip For Pastors

Whether you’re the pastor of a large church like Covenant Life or the only pastor of a new church plant, determining priorities is crucial to shaping a schedule that is faithful to God’s expectations for you. In this second excerpt from the forthcoming Leadership Interview podcast, “The Pastor and His Time,” Josh, Jeff, and C.J. discuss these biblically defined priorities; the common, albeit well-meant, interruptions; and the importance of educating your church on your priorities. All this in order, C.J. says, “to most effectively, uniquely, specifically, and broadly serve those who have been entrusted to your care.”

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Joshua Harris: Are there any priorities (or, really, not priorities) that you see creep into a pastor’s life? What are some of the temptations that you would think are out there for a pastor to get involved in that really isn’t [a priority]?…

C.J. Mahaney: There are legitimate distractions on a daily basis. There are distractions that I think are created by the active presence of indwelling sin. Certainly there are distractions in the context of ministry. There are distractions provided for us in the context of our culture. These distractions are absolutely endless in their variety and in their consistency, which is why it is so important for pastors to be clear on their calling, role, and priorities. And to recognize that if you don’t prepare for a given week by identifying those roles and creating appropriate goals in fulfillment of those roles, your week will attack you, and you will end up devoting more time that week to the urgent than you do to the important.

Jeff Purswell: And I think that is particularly a temptation for pastors, because a lot of those distractions you mentioned, C.J., will emerge from legitimate needs. And that’s precisely what happened in Acts 6:1–7, the first time you have the crystallization of specialized responsibilities for pastors. There were real, pressing, legitimate needs [related to feeding widows] that needed tending to. But the apostles recognized that it wasn’t their need to attend. They needed to raise up gifted leaders to tend to those things while they specialized in what they were called to do: attention to the Word of God and to prayer (v. 4).

And so I am sure a lot of pastors listening are aware of many legitimate needs. We call them distractions, but they are real, pressing needs. But that doesn’t mean they are the solution to those needs directly, or that those needs become immediate parts of their to-do list for the week.

CJM: Each pastor enters into each week aware that the requests made of him in a given week will exceed his capacity to respond and fulfill those requests. Therefore, if I haven’t in some way determined what is most important and uniquely important for me to do in a given week, I will find myself responding to these urgent, and often legitimate, requests and end up busy throughout the week, but not productive and not ultimately fruitful at the end of the week.

I think it is of critical importance for pastors in particular to enter their week aware of what is most important, what is uniquely important for them to do in order to most effectively, uniquely, specifically, and broadly serve those who have been entrusted to their care. This will inevitably involve some form of specialization, and must be informed by some awareness on the part of the pastor of his limitations.

So a lot depends on whether one is pastoring alone, or whether one has a pastoral team. But regardless of the size of the pastoral team or the size of one’s church, what we are saying applies to a pastor.

JH: That’s good. I just was thinking as Jeff was referencing the care for the widows, the distribution of food, that it is so important. As pastors we are really receiving our priority list from God. I think it is so easy to allow that priority list to be written by other people, you know, the people in your church.…

CJM: You must have a pastoral team supporting you and specializing in particular ways, so you can inform the church specifically of the role of each pastor and how each pastor exists to specialize and to serve the church. In that way that individual that you just described—who you want to care for and not disappoint—you can inform that individual that you are not simply declining to serve that individual through, say, pastoral counseling because you are pursuing some unrelated purpose. No, you are seeking to serve them and the entirety of the church by specializing in particular ways, and other pastors have been trained and provided to care for their souls in this regard. And you cannot devote yourself to all the possible tasks and opportunities and needs, or else you will not serve the church.

JH: We are in a larger context at Covenant Life, but I think the principle still holds even for a guy who is pastoring by himself. He needs to involve other members of the church, small-group leaders, people who can come alongside of him. And ultimately, the good news here is that that is so much healthier for the whole church, for people not just to be looking to that one guy, but to be realizing the grace that flows through so many different means.

CJM: He does, indeed. And he needs to inform or have someone, like a fellow elder, inform the church of what his unique role is, so that the expectations of church members are clear in their hearts and minds. That pastor who is pastoring alone—prior to the formation of a plurality—needs to make clear to the church that he is devoting himself primarily to this task of study and teaching in order to serve the entire church. Other provisions can be made for the important need of biblical counseling through other individuals, who might not even be staff members or part of the pastoral team at that time.

That kind of information, in my experience, is just often not communicated to the church, and therefore individual church members are vulnerable when they make a particular request. They call the office with an expectation that the pastor will respond to their request. But when the pastor declines, if sufficient explanation isn’t given, then the individual is not just disappointed, but offended, and all this can be avoided if there is a clear definition communicated to the church about the role of that particular pastor. And that, again, applies as the pastoral team grows into a plurality.
HT: JT

November 1st

This next Saturday we are going to the Milton Corn Maze. Meet at the church parking lot at 6 pm. Can't wait to see everyone there.

This has got to be one of the most well-made Christian movies I have ever scene. The whole movie storyline is centered around the gospel. I was definitely edified and entertained at the same time while watching this movie. I urge all of you to be a good witness to the world by going out and supporting this film. The gospel is EXTREMELY clear. It was presented by using 'The Way of the Master' evangelism. The movie stars Kirk Cameron, who is currently one of the leaders of 'The Way of the Master'. The story applies to everyoen in the family. To read more about the moive click here and watch the trailer below.

John 15:12-17, 'An Exegetical Look at Friendship'

John 15:12-17

15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.

12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.

13: The extremity of our love for each other is to the death.

In your love to one another, it should be a self-sacrifcing love. One that will give up what you want or prefer to do in order to be there for your friend.

Jesus performed this to the extreme even when these men were only friends in name!

14: For the disciples to constantly do the will of Christ they are constantly assured of their friendship with him. That they will abide in His love. We do have a responsibility here!

15: When a servant is told to do this or that, he is not given an explanation as to why. He just expected to complete the task. With friends its different.

A friend is a confidant. By this time Jesus had told his disciples all that he heard from the Father:

- Why he was sent to the earth. 3:16

- Why he was going to lay down his life. 10:11

- What he would do at his return. 14:2,3

- How a man could be saved. 3:3

Also, the tasks of a servant are often hard and heavy. But the yoke of Jesus is easy and the burden is light. Mat. 11:25-30. especially in light of human tradition and ordinances. Mat. 23:14, they were servants, they were slaves to it. But these disciples were friends.

16: Just because the disciples were Christ’s friends does not mean that they were on equal playing ground as him. On earth friends usually choose each other. With Jesus, he chooses you. It’s one-sided in its origin. These words emphasize the free, independent spontaneous love of Christ!

The ground of God’s love for us never lies within us, but always in himself, for even apart from His love for us, God is love.

Let’s see this divine love in other passages:

Dt. 7:7,8; Dan. 9:19; Rom 5:8; Eph. 1:4; I John 4:10; 1 John 4:19

Abiding in Christ is rewarded by fruit-bearing and answered prayer. A disciple prays for fruits. Fruit pleases God. He asks God to give whatever is in accordance with His will. He asks not as if He himself has any merit, but solely on God alone.

In us abiding in Him and in His choosing us to be friends, God has one purpose namely for us to keep on loving one another.

Here is the logic:

- In myself being unlovable, I cannot keep loving my brother.

- Unless I constantly reflect on the love of Christ for me.

- Not only do we love Him because He first loved us, but we love each other because He first loved us..

- Our love for each other is an extension of Christ’s love for us. Look at Rom. 5:5

"hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us."

Apple Orchard Trip

Here's a link to where we are going on Saturday: Apples!

What does the word of God have to say about friendship?

A Systematic look:

Ps. 25:14*

Prov. 16:28

Prov. 17:17

Prov. 18:24

Prov. 27:6

Prov. 27:10

Jas. 4:4

Jn. 15:13-15*

Biblical Foundation for friendship

Foundations of biblical friendship – Gen. 1-3

a. God as a friendship in the Godhead relationship Gen. 1:1

b. Men and women were created for relationships. Gen 1:16-28

i. A relationship with God.

ii. A relationship with other people.

c. Sin is the destroyer of relationships/friendships. Gen. 3:1-14

i. Sin destroys man’s friendship with God.

ii. Sin destroys man’s friendship with each other.

d. The hope of true friendship being restored. Gen. 15.

i. The promised seed.

ii. The promised redemption of relationships.

True Friends

A Biblical Theology on Friendship and Relationship
Over the course of the next few weeks, we are taking a journey through the Bible to discover what God has to teach us about friendship and relationships. Come join us at 9:30 every Sunday morning for these eye opening times in God's word.