Pastor as Church Member

Pastor As Church Member

Philippians 4:10,14-16

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me.”

“Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent help for my needs once and again.”

     One of the greatest gifts a congregation gives to a pastor is allowing he and his family to be a members of the church. That’s right. The pastor and his family are church members. Too many pastors have been crushed under the weight of a congregation unable see the sheep inside the under-shepherd. Too many congregations have been robbed by pastors who refuse to seem themselves as sheep.

     It’s an all to common story. Laughter fills the room. Then, the pastor walks in. One group shifts conversation from who got voted off The Bachelor to Fixer Upper or Tim Tebow. The group with nothing to talk about, starts talking about a mission opportunity the pastor should lead. The statesman church member silently judges the attire the pastor and his family. At small group, the pastor wonders why he is the only one with problems. Everyone else is doing great. So he falls in line.

     Let’s back up a bit. Problems like this don’t start with the congregation. It starts with a pastor who embraces a false identity. His identity is in his calling and responsibilities. Therefore, he feels the weight of everything and everyone in the church all the time. Who is talking to who. Is anyone feeling left out? Should I connect this person with that person? I wonder if their marriage is doing any better? Why aren’t they in small group yet? Identity. He views himself exclusively as a shepherd. He is blind to the sheep within. So, also, he blind to the Chief Shepherd. The congregation follows suit.

     It is imperative. The pastor must have an identity in Christ, if he is to embrace being a shepherd and a sheep. Pastor Paul does this well. The Philippian church mirrors it back. Paul lived as a shepherd and a sheep. The Macedonian churches were taken care of by Paul, and they, in turn, gave back.

Philippians 4:10,14-16

“I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at length you have revived your concern for me. You were indeed concerned for me.”

“Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble. And you Philippians yourselves know that in the beginning of the gospel, when I left Macedonia, no church entered into partnership with me in giving and receiving, except you only. Even in Thessalonica you sent help for my needs once and again.”

     Paul received shepherd like care from his churches. This is crucial! A pastor gets to model the art of receiving care! What a novel idea! Paul was a fellow sheep in need of the Chief Shepherd and his under-shepherds (church members).

     One of my greatest delights in life is being a member of Christ Church Carbondale! The members of our church allow me and my family to be sheep alongside with them. They care for us! We are seen. We are loved not consumed. Humanness is possible with them. For the first time in my life I am experiencing what it means to be a pastor and a sheep.

     Pastor I want to invite you into this kind of existence. Jesus is the savior of the sheep, not you. Shepherd your people well by letting them shepherd you.

     Likewise, church members an invitation comes to you. You’re invited to stop treating your pastor/pastors as Jesus. He/they can’t “Know everything, fix everyone, and be everywhere” Zack Eswine. Instead, love them and shepherd them well. Point them to Christ! He is what every sheep needs!