Giving The Pastor His Props

Read Colossians 1:24-29

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with
all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.
To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which
so powerfully works in me.”
(Colossians 1:28-29)

Thoughts… “Every mule thinks his pack is heaviest,” an astute person once equipped.

Translation: If you were to ask one hundred different people about their life’s work, you would get ninety-nine would say their work environment was more difficult than most people’s; that their jobs were far more demanding than the average Joe’s; that their work was certainly more physically, emotionally and mentally taxing than others; and that their boss certainly had to be the toughest boss on the face of the planet.

I want to make a case in this blog that the job of a pastor is arguably the most difficult and demanding job there is. Here’s why:

• Not only does the pastor have to be a person of outstanding moral integrity and godliness…
• Not only does the pastor have to have an attractive, talented, godly spouse and obedient, respectful children…
• Not only does the pastor have to be an effective marriage and family counselor…
• Not only does the pastor have to be ready to answer wisely and profoundly on just about any subject known to man…
• Not only does the pastor have to be a skilled and disciplined financial manager…
• Not only does the pastor have to be frugal with his own finances, yet dress impeccably, drive the latest model executive car but not be ostentatious, live in a respectable home large enough for entertaining the congregation, but small enough not to be pretentious…
• Not only does the pastor have to stand behind the pulpit every Sunday to offer words from the very throne of God in an articulate, entertaining, deep, inoffensive, and life-changing way…
• Not only does the pastor have to pass muster in all those categories, just to name a few, dear ol’ Reverend also has the assignment of presenting each person in the congregation “perfect in Christ”…

Now tell me if that is not the most difficult job in the whole world! That’s what Paul is saying in Colossians 1:29, “To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me.” What is it that Paul devoted such energy to? The previous verse tells us, “That we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28) Do you have a bullet point like that in your job description?

Seriously, the role of a spiritual shepherd is extremely demanding and exceedingly difficult for this very reason: It is the pastor’s assignment to turn irreligious people into fully devoted Christ followers. Since both the pastor and his people have fallen natures, because the shepherd’s sheep resist the growth process and are not always cooperative, because people are just plain old stubborn, selfish, and sinful, getting God’s flock to that point of perfection before Christ is the greatest challenge in the world.

In this section of Colossians, Paul gives us a glimpse into his own heart as a pastor. As we look at Paul’s passion for his people, we gain a deeper appreciation for the role our own pastor plays in our lives. It is a brief but impassioned paragraph where Paul shows seven dimensions of his ministry that can help us understand and appreciate the nature of pastoral ministry:

First, Paul talks about the source of the ministry. In verse 23, Paul is speaking of the gospel, about which he says, “I, Paul, have become a servant.” Then in verse 25, he says, “I have become a servant [referring to the church] by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in all its fullness.” In other words, he is letting this church know that it wasn’t his choice to become a minister of the gospel; it was God’s call on his life. And since God sovereignly called Paul and filled him with the spiritual gifts to pastor, he had to be obedient to that call. The word he uses to describe his call, or his commission, comes from the Greek word oikonomia. It means to manage a household as a steward of someone else’s possessions. In Paul’s day, a steward was given complete oversight of a household’s business and financial affairs, allowing the owner to travel and pursue other interests. The steward held a position of great trust and responsibility. And so does a pastor. He is not building his own kingdom or reputation. He is managing God’s household of faith in a local church. Notice that Paul characterized his leadership as that of a servant…and that should also be the attitude of every pastor. When it isn’t, you have a pastor who has lost sight of God’s call on his life.

Second, Paul talks about the spirit of the ministry. Verse 24 says, “Now I rejoice…” As difficult and demanding as the ministry may be, it was never intended to be an unbearable burden. No matter what is going on in the church, whether difficulties from without or challenges from within, those circumstances should never sap the inner joy of the Lord that is to be the strength of a pastoral ministry. Most likely, a pastor who has lost the joy of serving Christ is not in a bad circumstance, but has a bad connection. The joy of ministering for Christ is lost when communion with Christ breaks down. Paul got discouraged by things that happened in the churches, but he never lost his joy because he maintained an intimate connection with Christ.

Third, Paul speaks of the suffering that comes with the ministry. Look at verse 24 again: “I rejoice in what was suffered for you and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, the church.” To emphasize that joy is independent of circumstances, Paul says that he rejoices in his sufferings for their sake. He is referring to his imprisonment at the time of this writing. It was characteristic of the early Christians to rejoice in suffering, since they considered it a privilege to suffer for the name of Christ. The Roman apologist Aristides wrote that Christians would even rejoice and give thanks to God even when a righteous person among them passed from this world. When a child was born to Christian parents, they would praise God. If the child died in infancy, the parents thanked God even more because the child would be one who had passed through the world without encountering sin. You just couldn’t beat these early Christians down because they found reason to rejoice in everything, even their sufferings. And Pastor Paul led the way in joyful suffering. An effective pastor will be ready to lead the way in suffering if necessary, and teach his congregation how to suffer joyfully as well.

Fourth, Paul talks about the scope of his ministry. Verse 25 says, “I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in all its fullness…” Notice the last phrase: in all its fullness. Paul didn’t pull any punches in his preaching. He didn’t say things just to get big crowds or just to please people. He spoke the truth of God to them, whether that was through encouraging words of instruction or through stinging words of admonishment and correction. Verse 28 continues, “We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom…” Proclaim means literally to publicly declare a completed truth; Admonishing means to give encouraging counsel in view of sin and coming punishment; Teaching means imparting positive truth; Wisdom means practical discernment. That’s the pastor’s responsibility. He’s got to give it to you straight and not shy away from doing so, even when there is the risk of offending some and driving others away. But when the parishioners understand the pastor’s passion, they realize that he does it as a steward of God’s household and for the benefit of the church.

Fifth, Paul talks about the subject of the ministry. Verse 26 calls it “the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints.” What is the mystery? Verse 27: “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.” That means the plan of salvation was kept from humanity as well as from spirit beings until Christ’s work on earth was completed and the Holy Spirit brought forth the church, as described in Acts 2. Prior to that, there were glimpses that the Messiah would come to redeem Israel. But no one had a clue that God would actually dwell in his new Temple, the redeemed church, made up now mostly of non-Jews. The birth of the church and its stewardship of the Gospel message was absolutely astounding, earth-shattering news, and it was and is fought tooth and nail by God’s enemies. The Good News that Christ came to cleanse us on the inside and live within us as his dwelling place on earth is the message of the ministry. And when ministers get sidetracked from that message, there is the risk of losing their primary purpose for being called by God to the ministry in the first place. They are setting aside the very mystery of the glorious richness of Christ in us, the hope of glory. Pastors just can’t let that happen.

Sixth, Paul talks about the sum of the ministry. The last part of verse 28 says: “So that we may present everyone perfect in Christ.” The goal of the ministry is the maturity of the saints. That’s what the word perfect means. It is being complete, mature, grown up, and like Christ in every way. That’s why there will always be the need for pastors. Although we strive for that lofty goal, no one on earth has yet arrived there. One day, every true believer will attain it—but not in this life. That is why we continue to have church, Bible studies, and move to the next dimension in our spiritual formation, and why we have pastors who will train and equip us.

And seventh, Paul talks about the strength of the ministry. It would be an absolutely impossible and discouraging task were it not for verse 29: “To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me.” The word labor means to work to the point of exhaustion. Striving refers to competing in an athletic event. We derive our English word agony from it. The verse speaks of the pastor putting forth all his energies, efforts, and focus—his maximum exertion—on maturing the saints. When he does, his toil won’t be in vain; God will supply the pastor with Divine power to get the job done.

That is a quick look at the work of a pastor—his purpose and his passion. So what does that have to do with you?

For one thing, anything Paul says about the pastor’s call is true of God’s call on your life. You may not be called to vocational, full-time ministry, but as a member of Christ’s body, you have a call and an anointing on your life. You are spiritually gifted, and there is a place of service just right for you in the church. You, too, have been called to present this mystery—Christ in you, the hope of glory—to the world in which you live. You should be no less passionate about God’s call on your life than your pastor’s calling. You, too, are a steward of God’s grace. So let me call you to a deeper commitment to the work of God and a great passion for His people.

For another thing, you need to keep in mind that your pastor’s role isn’t to make you more comfortable, but to make you more Christ-like. That’s why words like admonish and agonize, struggle, suffer, servanthood, and maximum effort are used when talking about the pastor’s efforts. So let me encourage you to encourage your pastor to tell it to you like it is. Give your shepherd permission to give it to you straight, without pulling any punches. And when he does, take it like a maturing saint, not a sniveling martyr. Remember, it is not easy for the pastor to fulfill that tough side of the ministry. Let your pastor know that you’re behind him and expect him to push you when he needs to.

Furthermore, the pastor’s passion ought to be of interest to you because their work concerns your life. The pastor is not just doing it for the fun of it. No, the pastor’s passion is to see Christ fully formed in you, to see you fully mature in Christ. So what your shepherd is doing in ministry touches the very core of your spiritual life.

Finally, because of the role the pastor plays, make his job as easy as you can by joyfully entering into a partnership with him. Make it a joint venture, where you fully cooperate with God and pastor in the process of your spiritual formation. Don’t worry that he will have too much time on his hands if you make it too easy for him. Believe me, there will be plenty of other saints who seem to have a ministry of making the pastor’s life tough.

The story is told of two men riding their bicycles, built for two, up a steep hill. And when they finally made it to the top, the guy in front said, “Whew! That was the toughest climb up the steepest hill I’ve ever tried. Didn’t know if we would ever make it up.”

And the second guy said, “Yeah, and if it weren’t for me keeping my brakes on the whole way, we would have easily slid back down.”

Friend, don’t put the brakes on while your pastor is peddling you up the hill to be presented as perfect before Christ.

Prayer… Father, thank you for every spiritual leader who has contributed to my spiritual formation. Bless them abundantly. Let them know that their efforts have not been wasted. Allow them to experience the joy of knowing this sheep is well on his way to being presented perfect before Christ.

One More Thing… “The authority by which the Christian leader leads is not power but love, not force but example, not coercion but reasoned persuasion. Leaders have power, but power is safe only in the hands of those who humble themselves to serve.” —John Stott