Pastor ~ Be Encouraged

I have a confession. I’m a salesman. Yes, I know, I know. Now, what I sell is going to remain a secret, but it’s something that I am really having a great time doing and the company that I work for is awesome. A real diamond in the rough, so too speak, in the world of companies that are in business to sell a product.

A portion of my business is going into churches to secure their business with the product that I sell; and I have too admit. I rarely if ever, leave feeling as if I have spent time with those who rejoice in being called out of the world into the kingdom of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. Most time, I left feeling as if I was in a funeral home, viewing a dead body. So, today, I made it a mission to take the focus off myself, and to direct my energy and excitement to the pastor.

Today, I walked into a Baptist Church and instead of seeking out the manager of that building; went straight for the pastor to ask him one question,”Man of God. What are you preaching about this weekend?” With a surprised studder, I got the answer, “Uh…I’m undecided, but I think that I’ll preach on…” In which I with much anticipation, waited to hear the good news.

Without going into much detail in this format, I left extremley edified, and so did the pastor. We sat and talked for about 35 minutes on why it is important to preach the gospel and feed the sheep the word of God so that, they can stand up in this world with the rod iron of truth. Im-movable and unshaken. This particular pastor when I arrived, was undecided on what too preach (on Friday I mind you), and when the meeting was over, he was smiling ear to ear and ready to preach on the new birth in Christ.

As I was leaving I encouraged him to, “Preach the word in and out of season. And feed the sheep.”

I wonder how many pastors lack encouragement and admonishment from those whom they are shepherding? What if what many of these men need is to be reminded of what their calling is and how massive a responsibility it is to perform this task of sheep tending. I’m reminded of what Martin LLoyd Jones once said concerning the pastor…

“The most important thing you (speaking to his congregation) are doing right now and will ever be doing in this place, is listening to the word of God.  And I standing here will one day have all my words come back to me when I stand in front of Him whom I must give an account. What a terrible and awful thing it is to be standing here.”

Do you Pastor, Evangelist, Teacher, nursery worker, janitor, musician, librarian, youth worker, and coffee maker, think the same thing. That it is truley a humbling thing, to be speaking such wonderful words of that of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Be encouraged and remain strong.