OK. Before I start, let me just say that this is not a rant. I’m simply explaining something from the scriptures as the Lord has revealed it to me. Take it or leave it, but I hope it means something to you when it’s all said and done. I’m doing this from a spirit of love.
“And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.” (Hebrews 4:11-13)
We all have needs, right? We all need love, affection, food and water, clothing, and a place to live. Every human being in the history of the world has been hard-wired to seek these basics. The problem, dear friends, is when we begin to expect another person to provide them all for us. Take a minute and explore your personal life. Do you expect to be provided with acceptance, affirmation, sustenance, counseling, teaching, and personal attention each and every time you come to church? If so, you’re probably going to leave disappointed.
Notice from the scripture above that He (Jesus) gave some as apostles, prophets, etc.
If you keep changing churches because “that pastor at my last church didn’t appreciate me,” or “that pastor at my last church didn’t affirm me in my ministry,” or “that pastor at the last church didn’t spend personal time with me,” then this one’s for you. If you’re looking for the pastor who epitomizes and operates in all five of the ministry giftings listed above, you’re looking for Jesus.
It’s more than ludicrous to expect any Pastor to be an expert preacher, expert communicator, expert leader, expert counselor, and expert accountant. Of course, every Pastor aspires to operate at this level, but as men we are always falling short in one area or another. This brings me to my next and most important point:
If you think the church exists simply to meet your needs, you’re off base by a long shot. The church exists to further the agenda of God and to bring all men into a right relationship with Him. You’re either going to help that cause, or hurt it. As the scripture above illustrates, the ministry gifts have been handed down to the body from Christ for the purpose of the building up of the body of Christ, not to cater to your psychological and emotional issues.
Ok. That’s a tough word, right? Here’s the take: Ask not what your church can do for you, as what you can do for your church. Which of the five fold ministry graces is active in your life? If you’re griping about the pastor’s lack of communication ability, who not offer to serve as his personal assistant and facilitate communication on his behalf? Wouldn’t that solve the problem?
It isn’t the job of the Pastor to affirm you, coddle you, cater to you, or otherwise meet your needs. A good Pastor will want to do some of those things as the Spirit leads him, but his responsibility is to lead the flock in the direction that they should go. If you need affirmation or recognition or empowerment or money, you need to get with Jesus who “supplies all our needs according to His riches in glory.” Your pastor is juggling enough tasks without worrying about you leaving the church if he doesn’t spend personal time with you every Sunday. Let’s give him a break, can we?
This sounds like a rant, but certainly needs to be said. The “me-centric” gospel has no power to transform lives. It puts the focus on man (self) instead of Christ. It is all about attempting to work certain principles to fulfill personal ambitions and goals. It is a great crowd-gatherer but doesn’t make disciples (which of course is our great commission).