I (nick) am a pastor. Okay, an assistant pastor. But my primary occupation is to preach and teach to the youth each week. This is not a calling I take lightly. It is a constant weight on my heart and mind. With that said, most churches in America probably wouldn’t hire me, at least not as a youth pastor. The primary reason is that I’m not a games guy. I play sports. I like to fellowship. I love having fun. But on the whole, I’m not that into games. I’m not really an atmosphere guy either. I like candle-lit rooms. I think thought can to go into how to set up a room for worship. But I’m too moody to worry about what kind of mood we’re setting. I’m not really about entertaining people either. Sure I want to be engaging and I want people to pay attention to me, but I’m not a television. I’m not here for people to tune and change me until they see something they want to watch.
No, teachers are supposed to teach. Pastors are supposed to pastor. Nowhere in my job description (i.e. the Bible) does it say that I am supposed to lead games, create a mood, or entertain people. I am called to preach.
But I guess the question then becomes what to preach. The answer to that lies in your desire. Do you desire to equip the people of God for the work of ministry? Then we are to speak the truth in love. Is your desire to see God’s children grow more and more like Christ? Then they are to be sanctified in truth, His Word is truth. Is your desire for the lost to be saved? Then faith comes from hearing and that by the Word of God.
It seems like no matter what our desire is we are to preach the Word of God. Of course our problem is that we think God’s Word isn’t good enough to get the stuff of ministry done. Oh what a travesty. Let us all, as pastors and parishioners solemnly remember the words of Romans 9:6, “it is not as though the word of God has failed.”
(But people don’t want to be preached at) The Word of God does not fail.
(But people will get bored) The Word of God does not fail.
(But we’re not entertaining enough) The Word of God does not fail.
(But our attendance is going down) The Word of God does not fail.
The Word of God is so much more, infinitely more powerful than you or I could ever dream. It’s living. It’s breathing. It’s Jesus! Which is why we, as pastors, preachers, and teachers are to be focused with one thing: proclaiming His name, giving honor to His name, lifting high His name. If anything else occupies our hearts then we are in grave danger. Listen to Malachi (chapter 2):
1"And now, O priests, this command is for you. 2If you will not listen, if you will not take it to heart to give honor to my name, says the LORD of hosts, then I will send the curse upon you and I will curse your blessings. Indeed, I have already cursed them, because you do not lay it to heart. 3Behold, I will rebuke your offspring, and spread dung on your faces, the dung of your offerings, and you shall be taken away with it. 4So shall you know that I have sent this command to you, that my covenant with Levi may stand, says the LORD of hosts. 5My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him. It was a covenant of fear, and he feared me. He stood in awe of my name. 6True instruction was in his mouth, and no wrong was found on his lips. He walked with me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many from iniquity. 7For the lips of a priest should guard knowledge, and people should seek instruction from his mouth, for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts. 8But you have turned aside from the way. You have caused many to stumble by your instruction. You have corrupted the covenant of Levi, says the LORD of hosts, 9and so I make you despised and abased before all the people, inasmuch as you do not keep my ways but show partiality in your instruction."
The priests did not care about the name of Jesus, and did not offer their best. Then it all blew up in their faces. Let us not fall into this same sin. Let us pursue, with everything we have, lifting high the name of Jesus. Not just in theory. Not just on paper. But in our preaching. In our teaching. In everything.
Ask yourself this question: what does God want from me? People to like you? People to clap when you sing and nod in approval when you preach?
No.
He wants you to have godly offspring.
After rebuking the priests in the above passage, Malachi goes on to say that when we do not lift up God’s name, when we don’t stand in awe of Him, when we don’t preach and instruct as He has told us to, we have left God to marry “the daughter of a foreign god.” And then Malachi says this:
13And this second thing you do. You cover the LORD's altar with tears, with weeping and groaning because he no longer regards the offering or accepts it with favor from your hand. 14But you say, "Why does he not?" Because the LORD was witness between you and the wife of your youth, to whom you have been faithless, though she is your companion and your wife by covenant. 15Did he not make them one, with a portion of the Spirit in their union? And what was the one God seeking? Godly offspring. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and let none of you be faithless to the wife of your youth. 16"For the man who hates and divorces, says the LORD, the God of Israel, covers his garment with violence, says the LORD of hosts. So guard yourselves in your spirit, and do not be faithless."
God has united us with Him in a covenant. A marriage. Not only that, He has infused this relationship, sealed this relationship, fueled this relationship with His Spirit. Why? So that through you, godly offspring would be born. And the way to produce godly offspring is to honor your Husband! Stand in awe of Him. Let His Name be on your lips, preacher. Let His Name flow from your tongue, teacher. Let His Name be the sole desire of your heart, pastor. Don’t leave your first love for the trappings of the world. If you use the world’s means, you will produce worldly offspring. Preach His Word. Proclaim His Name. Then and only then will we be faithful to what He has called us to. Then and only then will our churches stop looking like the world. Then and only then will our people grow in Christ. And then we will find ourselves to be the priests of God instead of friends of the world.
2 comments:
A good reminder as to what true pastoral ministry is all about. That's what has made you so refreshingly different from typical "youth pastors" -- and why we brought you on staff! So long as we stick to God's Word, we can't go wrong. From time to time, the godliest of Christians will get egg on their face, but we need never to have any dung!
Cool! I found this very interesting. I think you're a great youth pastor! Who wants to be typical anyway?
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