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How would pastors and church leaders best serve members?
We have just a few weeks to the end of this year. As we draw close to the end of the year, and you think over how you have gone to church regularly throughout the year, can you pause and take note of the significant blessings being in church has been to you and others?
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Have you been blessed by the ministry of the pastor and leaders of your church this year; and in what ways? But by what standards and criteria can we evaluate the pastor, and the leaders’ ministry in the church? To respond well to this question, we will have to raise and answer the following questions: what is the Biblical mandate or key task of a pastor and leaders of a church? What should be the major focus of the pastor and leaders of a biblically healthy and growing church? What should be their most important vision and goal?
We have the New Testament Biblical pattern, example, and instruction of the Apostle Paul on what the Pastor and Church Leaders should focus on in Church ministry! Indeed, the Apostle Paul himself in Church ministry most importantly focused on building up maturing Christ-like disciples in the Church-preaching Christ and His Good News of Salvation, winning souls, and building them up to become Christ-like and to live godly lives of love, moral purity, and integrity! Raising people who are changed or transformed to become Christ-like and live like Christ was the agenda the Apostle Paul focused on. Let’s hear the Apostle Paul speak on this:
1 The Apostle Paul’s vision and goal for the believers in the Church Colosse: “Him (Christ) we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me.” (Colossians 1: 28&29 ESV). His supreme agenda is to build up mature Christ-like members. He commits his spiritual, mental, and physical resources to this task. It is a task that must be done.
2. To the Church in Galatia, the Apostle Paul writes: “My dear children for whom I am again in the pains of childbirth until Christ is formed in you.” (Galatians 4: 19 NIV). People going through spiritual formation process to become true Christ-like believers was the purpose he was deeply devoted to.
3. The Apostle Paul writes to the Church in Corinth:
• “If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing. Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.” (1 Corinthians 13. 3-7 NLT)
• “Since we have these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from every defilement of body and spirit, bringing holiness to completion in the fear of God.” (2 Corinthians 7:1 ESV)
As people seeking to be true Christ-like disciples, they must live practically holy lifestyles worthy of their status in Christ. They must regularly practice living a life of godly love.
4. To the Church in Ephesus, the Apostle Paul makes clear what must be the key function of their leaders: “Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church. Instead, we will hold on to the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ.” (Ephesians 4:12, 15 NLT)
5. To the believers in Rome, the Apostle Paul’s focus is on transformation into Christ-likeness and living a holy lifestyle that pleases Christ:
• “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” (Romans 8:29 NLT)
• “Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.” (Romans 12: 1-2 NLT)
• “Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living.” (Romans 6:18 NLT)
6. To the Church in Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul writes: “you remember what we taught you by the authority of the Lord Jesus. God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin. Then each of you will control his own body and live in holiness and honour. God has called us to live holy lives, not impure lives.” (1 Thessalonians 4: 1-4,7 NLT.)
Someone has said, “the Devil is not afraid of people going to Church, he is afraid of people starting to look like Christ.” And to live like Christ! Holiness is the Christian mandate for life: “For God saved us and called us to live a holy life.” (2 Timothy 1:9 NLT.) Pastor David Young says, “Holiness is the basis for the Christian system. Holiness is an ethical system that recognises what God has done in every piece of creation and uses those pieces to honour and worship God. Holiness is ordering life in such a way to as to honour God in everything, every circumstance, and every space!”
Are your Pastor and the Leaders in your Church living up to the key Biblical mandate for Pastors and Leaders of a healthy Church to focus on building up true Christ-like people? Are members “growing in every way more and more like Christ”? The Church must recover the focus of the Pastor and Church Leaders on building up people who will be Christ-like and live godly lives of moral purity and integrity at home, in Church, in business and in society.
The author is a Consultant in authentic Christian Spirituality and Discipleship and former CEO of Scripture Union.