The Pastor And His Job

After they got into the ministry, they soon found out that things are not as easy as they look, and they left the ministry and found themselves a job where they could make more money and have less headaches.

Illus: After George W. Bush won the presidency in 2004, he immediately took on a campaign promise to attack social security.

He said something had to be done because many of the young voters are being forced to pay social security, but when they reach retirement with the present system there will be no social security there for them because of the mishandling of the funds by the politicians.

During his campaign, he proposed the privatization of the social security program by allowing young voters to invest in the stock market which yields a lot more than the social security program they are forced to participate in today.

The proposal had two benefits for the young voters:

(1) They could make a better profit on their money and at death it goes to their heirs.

(2) They would not be forced to invest in a social security program that will not be there when they retire.

However, once all these young people are pulled from the social security system, it is going to create a problem financially. They will not be contributing to the system that supports the elderly today.

In fact, it will take trillions of dollars over several decades to make this transition, but the fact is something like privatizing this program is going to have to be done.

After his re-election, he felt he had a mandate to act on this program because he campaigned on it. He wasted no time dealing with this problem.

He made a speech and the journalists immediately said, “HOW ARE YOU GOING TO FINANCE THIS TRANSITION PERIOD?”

He smiled and said, “If it was an easy job, it would have already been done. But something has got to be done to protect the young workers in this nation. It is not right for the them to be forced into a system that is going to be bankrupt when they need it.”

The president has a very difficult job. For example:

• There are people that love him

• There are people that hate him and would do anything to destroy him

The reason I mention his job is because it is like a pastors job. He faces the same kind of problems on a smaller scale.

The pastor has people:

• Who are upset if he has a day off

• Who are upset if he has a new car

• Who are upset if he takes a vacation

• Who are upset if he gets a deserved raise

• Who are upset if he gets a retirement

It is a difficult job and many have decided they can make more money and have fewer problems if they go back into the secular world.

Illus: A preacher's wife in a large church once asked a new member how he liked his new church home.

• "Great! The church is friendly, I love the building, the singing is excellent, and the teaching program is practical."

• "What about the preaching?" she asked.

• "Well, quite frankly, that's one area I've been disappointed in. The sermons are dry, too long, and don't relate well to my life."

• Preacher's wife said, "Do you know who I am?"

• The Man said, "No."

• "Good!" she said, and disappeared into the crowd.

A pastor’s job is a difficult one. What makes the job so unbearable for some?

(1) THE PASTOR HAS TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO THINK THEY KNOW MORE THAN HE DOES.

After many years in the seminary and many years of experience, he is often confronted with people who have had no seminary or personal experience in the Lord’s work, but they KNOW EVERYTHING.

Illus: This reminds me of the pastor that advertised in the local newspaper; “FOR SALE, a complete set of Encyclopedia Britannica. 45 volumes. Excellent condition. $1,000.00 or best offer. No longer needed. Got married last weekend. Wife knows everything.”

People who think that they know exactly HOW TO PREACH, and WHAT TO PREACH make the minister’s job difficult.

(2) THE PASTOR HAS TO DEAL WITH PEOPLE WHO CANNOT BE MOTIVATED.

Illus: One young pastor was called to a church that was filled with a lot of elderly people, and they were very set in their ways.

One Sunday, he decided he was going to get them to move. He serve them communion using prune juice. There was a lot of activity in that service, and when one of the old deacons asked him why he did such a thing, he said, “If you won’t let the Holy Spirit move you, I decided the prune juice would.”