Reprove, Rebuke, Exhort
Pastors are supposed to meddle. They are supposed to find out what is going on in their people’s lives, in their families, in their vocations, and in their hearts. They are supposed to be diagnosticians of spiritual infirmities, skilled spiritual internists who know how to detect, prevent, and treat the pathologies of the Christian soul. To do their job, they do not have to wait for an invitation from their church members. They have a divine commission to oversee the spiritual wellbeing of all those who participate in the covenanted community of the local church
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Pastors do not need to exercise decision-making authority in order to lead. God gives them the right and the obligation to teach the churches over which He makes them overseers. Should Christians overrule the biblical teaching of their pastors, the Bible clearly warns that disregarding their instruction is “unprofitable for you” (Heb. 13:17). Every Christian has a responsibility to recognize the real authority of the pastor within the covenanted community of the local church.
Pastors who do not exercise decision-making authority are failing to lead and not taking seriously the responsibility of the role.
1 Kings 8:60 - so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD is God and that there is no other.
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