“WHAT IS A PASTOR TO DO?”  Pt. 3

(The Church – God’s Masterpiece – Part 22)

by Pastor-teacher Dennis Rokser

 

I read a while ago how at the conclusion of the sermon, the worshipers filed out of the auditorium to greet their pastor.  As one of them left, he shook the minister’s hand, thanked him for the sermon and said, “Thanks for the message, Pastor.  You know, you must be smarter than Einstein.”  Beaming with pride, the minister said, “Why thank you, brother!”

 

As the week went by, the minister began to think about the man’s compliment.  The more he thought, the more he became baffled as to why anyone would deem him smarter than Einstein.  So he decided to ask the man the following Sunday.

 

The next Sunday he proceeded to ask the member of his congregation if he remembered the previous Sunday’s comment about the sermon.  The member replied that he did.  The minister asked:  “Exactly what did you mean that I must be smarter than Einstein?”

 

The man replied, “Well, Pastor, they say that Einstein was so smart that only ten people in the entire world could understand him.  But Pastor, no one can understand you.”

 

Dear pastor, I hope that this evaluation is not true of your preaching, nor of your pastoring.  As we have been searching the Scriptures together regarding the scriptural responsibilities encased in the phrase “feed (shepherd) the flock of God” (1 Peter 5:2), we previously observed…

 

A.     Shepherding God’s flock involves PROVISION… as a pastor is to feed the flock of God the very Word of God.

 

B.     Shepherding God’s flock involves PROTECTION… as a pastor must carefully guard and watch over the flock of God for those dangerous predators that would harm them spiritually.

 

C.     Shepherding God’s flock involves PRAYER… as a pastor needs to engage in a ministry of intercessory prayer for people’s needs.

 

Is prayer really that important when it comes to shepherding God’s flock?  The apostles of our Lord would answer an emphatic… “YES.”

 

Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.  But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.  (Acts 6:3-4)

 

Instead of devoting their time to overseeing tables, these apostles perceived the importance of devoting themselves to prayer and the ministry of God’s Word.  Prayer should reflect an attitude of dependence on the Lord, “for without faith it is impossible to please God.”  (Hebrews 11:6)

 

The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.  (James 5:16b)

 

Call unto Me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.  (Jeremiah 33:3)

 

If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  (John 15:7)

 

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints. (Ephesians 6:18)

 

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;  For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.  For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.  For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;  Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.  (1 Timothy 2:1-6)

 

With all the attractive programs, worldly entertainment, and Madison-Avenue gimmicks of the modern evangelical church, the need and effectiveness of prayer has often become downplayed or overlooked.  This modern misemphasis is in stark contrast with New Testament times.  The apostle James was nicknamed “camel knees” due to his ceaseless ministry of prayer.  Paul the apostle could honestly write to the young Thessalonian church…

 

We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers;  Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father.  (1 Thessalonians 1:2-3)

 

For what thanks can we render to God again for you, for all the joy wherewith we joy for your sakes before our God;  Night and day praying exceedingly that we might see your face, and might perfect that which is lacking in your faith?  Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.  And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you:  To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.  (1 Thessalonians 3:9-13)

 

Then there’s the encouraging (and convicting) example of persistent pastoral prayer as illustrated in the life of Epaphras of Colosse.

 

Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, saluteth you, always labouring fervently for you in prayers, that ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.  For I bear him record, that he hath a great zeal for you, and them that are in Laodicea, and them in Hierapolis.  (Colossians 4:12-13)

 

Epaphras demonstrates to us the spiritual significance of regular, agonizing, intercessory, specific and purposeful praying.  Being a busy pastor, I can almost hear my fellow-pastors groaning with objection, “but I don’t have the time to pray as I should.”  Frankly men, we don’t have an excuse not to pray, for our Lord distinctly declared, “men ought always to pray, and not to faint.”  (Luke 18:1)

 

As J. Oswald Sanders writes,

 

But strange paradox, most of us are plagued with a subtle aversion to praying.  We do not naturally delight in drawing near to God.  We pay lip service to the delight and potency and value of prayer.  We assert that it is an indispensable adjunct of mature spiritual life.  We know that it is constantly enjoined and exemplified in the Scriptures.  But in spite of all, too often we fail to pray.[1]

 

The great Reformer, Martin Luther, is credited to having remarked, “Work, work from early till late.  In fact, I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”

 

The 19th century missionary to China, Hudson Taylor, used to emphasize that, “it is possible to move men through God, by prayer alone.”[2]

 

It should not surprise us then to read his son, Howard Taylor, write about his father (Hudson Taylor), “For forty years the sun never rose on China that God didn’t find him on his knees.”[3]

 

Echoing this same conviction, Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer inscribed the following concerning the importance of intercessory prayer.

 

In view of the appalling absence of personal concern on the part of the multitude of unsaved, in spite of much faithful preaching and exhortation, every serious soul-winner will, sooner or later, raise the question: “What, then, hinders the Spirit from performing His office work of convincing the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment?"  The answer to this central question in modern evangelism is found in that subject which is the next step in the successive aspects of the power of God unto salvation, as they are here being considered in their reverse order.  That subject is the prayer of Intercession.

 

There are but three possible ways in which the believer can fulfill the God-appointed human part in seeking the lost. These are: prayer, personal effort or influence, and giving.  Both the first and the last are world-wide in their scope, while the other is limited to the locality and opportunity of the individual. There can never be a question as to the relative value of these various lines of service, for the ministry of prayer is continually open to every believer, and is only limited in its possibilities by the feeble faith of man.  There is much in the New Testament that emphasizes the importance of preaching the Word as a means unto salvation; but it is evident that there must be more than the human statement of the truth.  The Spirit must wield His mighty Sword and that work of the Spirit, to a large extent it would seem, is subject to believing prayer.[4]

 

If Sanders, Luther, Taylor, and Chafer are right, every pastor needs to strike a balance between preaching and prayer.  Addressing this need, one writer clarifies that…

 

The emphasis on prayer need not undercut any of these aspects [of pastoral ministry], but these others should not remove the spotlight from the necessity of prayer.  Unfortunately, preachers get unbalanced in several ways:

1.      They emphasize prayer alone and lazily shirk the responsibility to be God’s workmen through faithful study.

 

2.      They put all their emphasis on human aspects of sermon preparation and have no pervasive dependence on God in prayer.  God can bless, in spite of this, but the preacher serves up only a product of human craft.  This sermon's fine technique is impressive, but it lacks vital forcefulness.

 

3.      They emphasize homiletical ingenuity, but offer only a shallow exposure to God's Word through neglect of diligent labor in study and prayer.  They have little to feed the hungry and reflect little dependence on God.

 

But there is good news!  Preachers can be balanced.  They can emphasize a prayerful choice of a text and prayerful diligence in studying the passage and books that clarify its meaning.  They search diligently for relevant illustrations, labor earnestly to organize their material well, and build good transitions.  They pray the whole time.  Then they deliver their messages, fortified by a godly life and a spirit relying on God.  This is the preferred way.   Prayer is a major force, but the other essentials are not taken lightly.[5]

 

As you prepare for your next sermon, should not on-going prayer be the drumbeat of your study?  As one wit remarked… “Study yourself to death, and pray yourself back to life.”  There is no substitute for prayer – in our pastoral ministry, and in our churches.

 

Did you know that while Charles Spurgeon is known as the nineteenth century “prince of preachers,” Spurgeon saw the Monday-night prayer meeting at London’s Metropolitan Tabernacle as “the thermometer of the church.”[6]

 

For years a large part of the main auditorium and first gallery were filled at these meetings.[7]  In Spurgeon’s mind the prayer meeting was “the most important meeting of the week.”[8]

 

What a glaring contrast from the modern-day mindset of many as it relates to the midweek prayer meeting today.  Peter Deyneka was right on target when he would say “Little prayer; little power.  Much prayer; much power.”

 

As I write this, my heart is pricked with such questions as,

 

·      Where have all the prayer warriors gone?

 

·      Why don’t I block out more times for prayer in my own schedule?

 

·      How much more might be done for Christ if only I would pray in faith for others more consistently?

 

·      Instead of criticizing others, would not our time be better spent praying for them?

 

Dear pastors, let us take these questions to heart.  Before he was martyred as a missionary in Ecuador, Jim Elliot wrote these insightful words about the powerful spiritual weapon called “prayer.”

 

God is still on the throne, we’re still His footstool, and there’s only a knee distance between![9]

 

That saint who advances on his knees never retreats.[10]

 

Not only should we be prayerful intercessors for others, but let’s not hesitate to also request prayer from other believers in Christ.

 

And [pray] for me, that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel,  For which I am an ambassador in bonds: that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.  (Ephesians 6:19-20)

Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving; Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:  That I may make it manifest, as I ought to speak.  Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.  Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:2-6)

 

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.  Pray for us…

(Hebrews 13:17-18a)

 

Believers, you cannot afford to underestimate the importance of praying for your pastor.  Warren W. Wiersbe pens,

 

The best way to “rewire the pulpit” is to get the people praying!  This takes time, and the enemy fights our endeavors and never stops, but we must grow a praying church.  When the church is made up of praying people, the preacher can sense it in the study, during his personal pastoral ministry, and especially in the pulpit when he proclaims the Word.  “My house will be called a house of prayer,” said Jesus, quoting Isaiah the prophet (Matt. 21:13; Isa. 56:7) ; and when it’s a house of prayer, it will also be a house of Spirit-empowered preaching.[11]

 

“Pray for us…” (Hebrews 13:18a) What a fitting request and serious responsibility of every pastor who seeks to faithfully shepherd God’s flock.  And how encouraging for a believer who is going through a severe trial to hear his/her pastor assure them, “I’ve been praying for you.”  Pastors, can you honestly say that?

 

God forbid that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you.  (1 Samuel 12:23) g