As iron sharpens iron,
one person sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)
“The King James Bible Study Project is a phone survey completed this year in which I and volunteers called 100 KJV-Only pastors and asked them twenty questions.” - Mark Ward
Survey results at https://kjbstudyproject.com/
“Gift #1: Pray for Your Pastor…. Gift #2: Enlist Others to Pray for Your Pastor ” - Thom Rainer
“An article published recently by the Religion News Service… addresses a matter of great consequence and relevance in the Christian Church. Unfortunately, the article offered an answer that was terribly incomplete.” - Mark Snoeberger
“I’m posting it this year in September so you and your church can consider ways to show your gratitude to your pastor during next month’s Pastor Appreciation Month” - Chuck Lawless
“This year, when churches follow the Bless Your Pastor Easy as 1-2-3 program, the NAE will send their senior pastor access to free and discounted retreat and vacation opportunities across the country” - NAE
Read the series.
We’ve looked at several New Testament passages that speak directly of leaders in the church, and how the members of the church should behave toward them. I think there’s material there for all of us to attend to.
I’d like to close the series by going to a passage that doesn’t mention pastors at all, but that points us to a significant step we can take for the days ahead.
“The percentage of U.S. Protestant pastors age 18-44 has increased from 23% to 26%. Additionally, the number of pastors who are 65 and older has jumped from 19% to 23%.” - Lifeway
Read the series.
The fifth biblical command for us in caring for our pastor leads me, as they say, to go from preachin’ to meddlin’.
The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching (1Ti 5.17).
Read the series.
We began this series in Hebrews 13, and we return there for this next step. Hebrews 13.17 reads,
Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.
Read the series.
Earlier in the same epistle that tells us to respect our pastor, Paul writes,
For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe (1Th 2.13).
Discussion