By Pastor Joey Carroll
As a pastor of a church, my heart is often overwhelmed at the responsibility I have been given to shepherd the flock of God. Thankfully, the Lord has gifted the church I pastor with several faithful elders who shoulder the immense responsibility with me. The responsibilities that we carry can be divided rather neatly into two categories: pastor and teacher. In fact, those are the very same two words Paul uses in Ephesians 4:11 to describe our duties.
I think the word “pastor” is better translated “shepherd” because it more fitly describes the responsibility. Now I realize that there are not really any shepherds remaining in northeast Alabama, but I do believe we are familiar enough with the term to understand the role. If you need a little help though, the Apostle Peter defines it well. “(Not) yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:3, NASB). In other words, a faithful pastor of a church does not use his position as authority over the people of God, pressing and driving them along making up rules based on his personal convictions for them to obey. Rather he walks ahead of his flock, exhorting and encouraging them to follow his example as he follows after the example of Christ. Pastors are meant to be living examples to the church of what it means to humbly submit to the singular authority in the church, the Word of God. Pastors are meant to be living examples of what it means to worship and serve the Lord in every area of life.
The second word is where I want to spend most of our time, and that word is “teacher.” The role of teacher has largely been abandoned by the pulpit, and the evidence is glaring. Teaching is not very popular in the average church today. But the average teenager in a school is not very excited about “teaching” either. However, I think we can all agree that a teen who does not apply himself to his education will have a very difficult time in managing life. Can we not realize then that if we are not faithfully taught the great doctrines of the faith and the truths of God’s Word, we will not be very fruitful in following Christ?
I am convinced that one of the primary reasons professing Christians look so little like Christ in our day is because of the lack of teaching that goes on from the pulpit. Let’s go back to my school analogy to make a point. Good school teachers do not walk into a classroom and seek to please those students who have no interest in learning anything. Teachers do not walk into the classroom and seek to entertain those students whose only desire is for the bell to ring so that they can go home. Hopefully, they encourage those students to apply themselves, but they never allow the students who do not care to set the pace for the rest of the class. Yet, some pastors have sought to do these very things. They seek to please those “students” who have no interest in truly learning the Word of GOD and are just waiting for the “bell to ring” so that they can go about their day. Should not a faithful pastor pour himself into those Christians who truly desire to learn more of the Word of God and faithfully follow the Savior in every area of life?
But, faithful teaching of the Bible comes with a warning. “Knowledge makes arrogant,” (1 Corinthians 8:1, NASB). It should sadden us to realize that we can apply ourselves to learning God’s Word and turn right around and wield that knowledge to exalt ourselves over and against those who have yet to learn that truth. Unfortunately, that is exactly what every human heart will do with what it “knows,” even the knowledge that GOD graciously allows us to understand from His Word.
But does that mean we should not apply ourselves to learn God’s Word? NO! That is ridiculous. However, it does mean that we should also strive to comprehend and apply that one thing that is greater than knowledge – love. Let’s talk about how those two go together next week.
This article originally appeared in The Clarion Newspaper.
Corinth Baptist Church 