The Work of the Pastor by Timothy Hille

The Work of the Pastor

by Timothy Hille

“But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word,” (Acts 6:4).

Read Acts 6:1-4. The Word of God is the rule of all that is to be said and done in and by the Lord’s kind of church. Many today seemingly take it upon themselves to decide for themselves (and for others) what the will of God is, not considering that God’s will is revealed by God’s Word. It is fitting that we should, by the leadership of the Holy Spirit, take note of the work of the pastor as described in the scriptures: for one year ago this present Lord’s day, on the seventeenth day of August in the year of our Lord nineteen hundred ninety-seven, you, the Pleasant Plains Baptist Church of Pleasant Plains, Illinois, did vote to call me as your pastor. We are not to assume what the work of the pastor is, nor are we to be indifferent with regard to the work of the pastor. We are much rather to take heed unto the scriptural teachings concerning the work of those whom the Lord calls to pastor His churches, and be diligent to follow the will of God.

Perhaps the first truth that we should consider whenever considering the pastor and his work is that the Lord is the One who calls men to the ministry and makes them pastors over His churches. One cannot be a pastor except in name and title only if this is not his case. Many have aspired or claimed to be that which God has not called them to be, and this is many times evident in that they do not meet the qualifications of the scriptures with regard to the ministry. God calls men and places them into the ministry according to the good pleasure of His own will. Read Acts 9:10-16. The Apostle Paul was chosen of God to bear His name, and God placed him into the ministry “who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious,” (I Tim. 1:13). “And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry” (I Tim. 1:12). Paul did not place himself into the ministry, but the Lord called him, for which cause he stated, “Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, and an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles” (II Tim. 1:11). “But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother’s womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood” (Gal. 1:15,16). (Read Jer. 1:4-10 Isa. 6:1-8.) The work of the ministry and the office of a preacher and a pastor is an holy office which belongs not unto men but unto God. God selects and places men into the ministry of the Word: men do not enter into the ministry any other way, either by education or lack thereof, by volunteering, or because their ancestors were in the ministry. God told the children of Israel, and it is still true today, “I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer. 3:15).

God never calls a man to pastor who does not fit the qualifications of the Word of God. (Read I Tim. 3:1-7.) Today many people have begun to make excuses why a person can be in the ministry who does not meet the qualifications of the Word of God. The reality is that God does not place men in the ministry who do not meet these prerequisites, so then someone other than the Lord must have called them. People are confused about the truth today, but the reason is because they want to have their own way and are not satisfied with God’s way. “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints” (I Cor. 14:33). Confusion is not the work of God. If people will believe God then they won’t be confused about the ministry and the work of the Lord.

A man who is called of God and placed into the ministry is a servant of Christ. The pastor is first the servant of the Lord, and then the servant of the church for Jesus’ sake. The Apostle Peter identified himself thusly, “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ” (II Pet. 1:1). Paul, speaking of himself and others who were ministers of God, stated to the church at Corinth, “For we are labourers together with God” (I Cor. 3:9); and, “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God” (I Cor. 4:1). God calls men into the ministry for the spiritual benefit of His churches. The church does not belong to the pastor, and the pastor is not controlled by the church insomuch that the church is not to hinder him in his work, for his work is given him of God for the spiritual benefit of the church. His office being one of a servant, the pastor’s life is one of service. His work is not his own or for his own benefit, but the work is the Lord’s and all is to be done as the Holy Spirit directs unto the honor and glory of God. The pastor is the Lord’s laborer, and to the Lord he must look for direction, for instruction, and for reward. He is not a lord over the people of God, but a servant of God for their sakes. He is called of God to preach the unsearchable riches of Christ that men might be saved and the Lord’s church added to and built up in the faith.

By the help of God this morning, I would that we should note some truths regarding the work of the pastor, and may we thereby be blessed. First, beloved, there are some responsibilities that exist in the work of the Lord that are not the pastor’s primary responsibility, as noted by the words of the twelve unto the multitude in Jerusalem: “Look ye out among you seven men . . . whom we may appoint over this business. But we . . . .” Secondly, the work of the pastor is a sacrificial work: “we will give ourselves.” Then, let us note the substance of that work: “to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” Finally, let us note how this work is to be done: “continually.”

Our text reveals to us some wonderful truths regarding the pastor’s work. The events of which we have read occurred in the first church which was in Jerusalem. “The number of the disciples was multiplied,” and the membership of the church had become large in number. There were some things that needed to be done that were not being done. Many in the church were poor, and so the church as a whole helped those who lacked. There were some who previously had sold their possessions and gave the money to the church to help provide for the welfare of the members who had need. (Read Acts 4:32-35.) There was much work to do and many who were in need, however, and so “there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.” There are always things which need to be done with regard to the carnal and worldly concerns of the church. At Jerusalem, there were many poor widows who needed to be served. Yet, if the apostles made this their primary work, they would be neglecting the most important needs and concerns of the church, which are the spiritual needs that can only be met by prayer and the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. It would not have been right or fitting for the twelve to neglect the Word of God to oversee the distribution of food to the poor widows of the church.

Beloved, take note of the word used by the twelve in introducing the work which they were to tend to: “But.” This word sets forth a contrast of two things. On the one hand there were the carnal needs and concerns of the church, and on the other the spiritual work to which the Lord had called them. They did not say that the widows were unimportant or that the daily ministration did not need to be done. This is the case in the Lord’s churches today. There are things that can, could, and even need to be done in the Lord’s work, but they cannot and should not become the pastor’s responsibility over the ministry which the Lord has given him. The Lord’s money which is in the care of the church has to be overseen; the expenses of the church have to be paid; the poor, weak, and sick of the church must be ministered to; the church house must be maintained; and many other such duties and responsibilities must be taken care of. Yet, “it is not reason that” the pastor “should leave the word of God” in order for these things to be done. They are necessary and vital concerns, but they are not the work of the pastor.

When others tend to the carnal concerns of the church, they help and support the pastor in that he may give himself to his spiritual duties. Some come to church and never give a thought to who cleans the pews they sit on, who vacuums the carpet they walk on, who shovels the snow off the sidewalk they come in on, who makes sure the bills are paid so the lights are on while they are there, and many other such things. These are all things that must be done, but they are never to be put ahead of the ministry of the Word of God! What is truly sad is that some come to church and never give a thought to inviting someone to come and hear the gospel preached; they never pray for the services or for the preacher, that God might speak through him in a great and mighty way; they never have any concern that the lost might hear the Word of God and be saved; and they give no thought to the uplifting of God’s name in song, hymn, prayer, and preaching. The spiritual cares of the church are the pastor’s first concern, for he has been charged with the responsibility of feeding the sheep of God’s pasture.

Having noted some things of which the pastor’s work are not, let us note the nature of his work, that it is a sacrificial work: “we will give ourselves.” The work of the pastor is a sacrificial work in that other things must be given up for the work to which God has called him. Many other things are forsaken when a man works to fulfill the ministry given him as a God-called pastor. The life of a man of God may truly be said to be a decreasing life: he must decrease in self and Christ must be magnified. John the Baptist stated of himself and Christ, “He must increase, but I must decrease” (John 3:30). The pastor’s life is not his own, but belongs to God, and he must seek to glorify God in every aspect of his life. He must give up self in order to serve Christ.

“And say to Archippus, Take heed to the ministry which thou hast received in the Lord, that thou fulfill it” (Col. 4:17). A man can hardly fulfill his ministry if he is constantly pursuing the cares and pleasures of this life. The pastor must give up the things of the world. He must often give up things that from a human perspective are close to his heart and meaningful to himself so that he may do the work to which he has been called. He may have been a man of business before the Lord called him; but now his business is to preach THUS SAITH THE LORD, and the pursuits of worldly goals must be given up. The pastor who neglects his family is not a good pastor; but a faithful pastor will give himself to the ministry over his family. His wife, his children, and his possessions are all superceded by the reality of God’s call and the office to which he has been appointed.

The work of the pastor is also a sacrificial work in that it must be done willingly: “we will give ourselves.” “The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed: feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind” (I Pet. 5:1,2). The pastor’s work is a work that must be done for the Lord’s sake and for the work’s sake, and for no other reason. A man who “enters the ministry” as a career or in hopes of making his fortune, so to speak, will not be a faithful man of God. The pastor does not preach and see to the cares of the church for money’s sake, nor because he is coerced into doing so; but because he is willing to so be used of God for Christ’s sake. A preacher must preach, not because he is obliged to do so, but because he loves to do so for the grace of God which has been given unto him. A pastor must feed the sheep of God, not because he is forced of God, but because he loves God and will gladly do whatsoever God asks of him. The ministry is not a hardship to one who gives himself willingly to the work of the Lord.

What then, we may ask, is the substance of that work to which the pastor has been called? God calls men to give themselves “to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” These are the things that make up the work of the pastor. There may be many other needs that arise, but the things that must occupy the pastor are prayer and the ministry of the Word. These are the things to which the man of God must be devoted and from which he must not become distracted. These are not just some duties that go along with being a pastor; they are the work of the pastor, the things he must singularly and steadfastly give himself to if he is to fulfill the ministry to which God has called him. Many people think that the pastor’s work consists of superintending programs and so-called “ministries”, doing “good deeds”, counseling, and the like. There are duties which ought to be performed by all true Christians. “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world” (James 1:27). Many today, however, think these are the pastor’s duties and the pastor’s work only.

Prayer and the ministry of the Word are at the heart of all that the pastor does. His study time is time spent prayerfully seeking to understand the scriptures and be led of the Holy Spirit in proclaiming the wonderful Word of Life. A preacher who spends little time in prayerful communion with the Lord, diligently studying the Word of God, will have little of value to communicate to others. A church with such a pastor will be a spiritually weak church, seeing they lack the nourishment of God’s Word with which the pastor is commanded to feed them. A pastor who does not pray will be a powerless pastor. His heart will not be strengthened in spiritual things for he has spent no time on his knees before God. He will have little help in the spiritual warfare in which he has engaged, for he went not to the throne of grace where “we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). He will have little to say to the lost, for he himself will have spent but little time in God’s Word beholding the Lamb who taketh away the sin of the world. His preaching will be nothing but an exercise in oration and not the bold proclaiming of the very testimonies of Almighty God.

In order that the pastor may fulfill his work, he should be supported to that end. In our text we read of the events that led to the ordaining of the first deacons in a Baptist church. The reason these were selected was to see to the “daily ministration” that the apostles might be able to give themselves “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.” One way to support the pastor and his work is to see that the things which do not have to do with his primary responsibility are taken care of so that the spiritual duties God has given him may be attended to fully. Another way to support the pastor and the work God has given him is to help him financially with his needs. (Read I Cor. 9:11-14; I Tim. 5:17,18.) The pastor should be supported in this fashion so that he may devote himself to his work. If the pastor gives himself “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word,” that will profit the church in the greatest degree; therefore, the pastor should be supported as much as possible to that end.

Finally, in what manner is the pastor’s work to be done? The answer is found in our text: “continually.” The work of the pastor is a full-time responsibility. Many have made the mistake of saying that some who have to work and who also pastor one of the Lord’s churches are “part-time pastors”. There is no such thing as “part-time pastoring” if a man is truly called of God to the ministry. Yet, this has more to do with than simply the amount of time devoted to the work, but rather the manner in which the work is done. A pastor must be steadfast in his work. He must be totally committed to the ministry which he has received of the Lord. A faithful pastor is one who never ceases from his spiritual labors for the Lord. His work will require much time, but it will be time well spent if he spends it “continually” in the things to which God has called him.

Pastor’s do not take vacations from the work God has given them. There is no time in which a man of God takes a leave of absence from the service of the Lord. Those who have been given this ministry are to daily serve the Lord, striving for the advancement of the cause of Christ, until Jesus comes again. “But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness. Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. I give thee charge in the sight of God, who quickeneth all things, and before Christ Jesus, who before Pontius Pilate witnessed a good confession; that thou keep this commandment withou spot, unrebukeable, until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ: which in his times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen, nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. Amen” (I Tim. 6:11-14; cf. II Tim. 4:5-7.) The work of the pastor requires faithfulness. To give oneself “continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” means a lifetime commitment with daily responsibilities. The pastor’s work is a work for which one day he will give account unto the Chief Shepherd, and his faithfulness in all things shall be examined. One who is faithful in prayer and in studying and preaching all the counsel of God will be used of God, and will one day receive his reward from the Lord.

When the church at Jerusalem did what they could to support the apostles in their work in selecting deacons to see to the “daily ministration,” the scriptures tell us that the result was spiritual growth and prosperity. (Read Acts 6:2-7.) The work of the pastor is a work that will be used of God, for God always honors His Word. If you are here this morning and have never repented of your sins and trusted in Christ, then the work of this pastor is to tell you that you are lost and undone and that you will only be saved if you turn from your sins and trust in Jesus as Saviour and Lord. If you are a member of this church and you have grown cold toward the things of God, the work of this pastor is to warn you, admonish you, and exhort you by the scriptures to confess your sins and make things right with God and with this church. The work of this pastor is to hold back nothing that is profitable unto you, but to declare all the counsel of God.