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Pastoral Advice
Contributed by Darrell Jones on Jun 2, 2005 (message contributor)
Summary: As a pastor I believe with all my heart our church deserves my best effort I can give to my calling. I also know God requires my best.
A pastor once told me that he didn’t bother with preparing a message from the Lord for his church. He simply just opened up the Bible and preached wherever the pages were opened to. I thought, didn’t his church deserve better than that, and doesn’t God require more than that.
Jethro in our text gives Moses some valuable advice. Moses had been involved with the technical and legal parts of his duties in addition to the spiritual and moral requirements of his leadership. Jethro recognized that Moses should not be doing all of the work. He also knew there were men qualified to take on some of the work load. Isn’t it true that there are self-sacrificing, competent, and faithful people waiting for an opportunity to work.
Finding these people will free the pastor up for his calling.
Let’s Look At the Job Description Of Pastor
(1) "Be Thou For The People God-Ward"
(A) Be God’s Servant As A Mediator For The People.
(B) Bring Their Causes To God.
(C) Our Call is a Holy Vocation, it is a sacred duty not to be taken lightly.
(2) "Know That God Will Be With You"
(A) I find encouragement in these words.
Jesus said, "Lo I am with you alway.
(B) His Presence Is Essential- no substitute will do.
(C) His Presence Is Promised.
"I’ll never leave nor forsake thee."
(D) His Promise Has Never Failed.
see how God fulfilled this word to Moses in Deut.31:6
(E) His promise Is For The Church Today.
Christ is in the Church , He is the glory of the Church, the Foundation, and the Light of the Chruch.
(3) The Pastor’s Duty To The Church (verse 20)
(A) Teach Them.
You can teach them only what has been revealed to you by God. We have preachers today who can give a discourse on politics, science, industry or history. But won’t teach them about:
(a) The Fear Of The Lord:
(b) Ordinances:
We are not to add to or take from, but teach only those ordinances instituted by God. Tithing, Communion, Water Baptism and Holy Spirit baptism,just to name a few.
(c) Moral precepts: Laws
Laws Of God Come First, Man’s Law Next.
(d)Teach Them The Way They Must Go.
God’s way is not just one of many, His way is the only way.We are to observe the right way, the good way, the way of life, the way to Heaven.
(e) Teach Them The Work They Must Do.
(1) The Work Varies. Many types of work to be done for the kingdom. Work to be done in church, home, or in the public.
(2)Our Work Is Required: No Excuses will be accepted.
(3)Work Is To be Done By Everyone:
For the World’s Sake, For Christ’s Sake, For Our Own Sake.