A PASTOR/SHEPHERD IS A SERVANT, NOT AN ENTERTAINER. Ezekiel 33-34.

Posted bySteven WalesPosted inGod is the Audience of Our Worship and Preaching, Ministers/Preachers, Preacher's Life/Ministry/Goldfish Bowl, PreachingTags:, , , , , , ,

My childhood pastor, John Bisagno, had “a flair for the dramatic.” He was an engaging preacher with a powerful voice and a rich imagination. Sometimes I became so swept up in the moment, I focused more on the delivery than the message. Brother John was not just a preacher, but an orator. I was enthralled.

But preaching is not about fame or celebrity. If anyone is drawn to the ministry by the lure of admiring crowds, he has the wrong motives. Ministry (literally “service”) is hard work. Ministry means giving your life away for others every day—and for so little reward.

“This will be their inheritance: I AM their inheritance. You are to give them no possession in Israel. I AM their possession” Ezekiel 44:28.

A life in ministry means a life finding contentment in God alone. Rather than riches or fame, God gives His servants more of HIMSELF. And He is enough—for those called to such a life. Vocational ministry is a life of sacrifices that never seem to end. (Are you prepared to live that way?) If your goal is to entertain, what real good will that do? God discussed this with Ezekiel:

“To them you are like a singer of love songs who has a beautiful voice and plays skillfully on an instrument. They hear your words, but they don’t obey them” Ezekiel 33:32.

God then rebukes the shepherds of Israel for their failures:

“You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost” Ezekiel 34:4-5.

What does God expect a shepherd (pastor) to do for his flock?

  1. Strengthen the weak.
  2. Heal the sick.
  3. Bandage the injured.
  4. Bring back the strays.
  5. Seek the lost.

A life in vocational ministry means serving hurting people, reaching the lost, counseling the broken, and more. Much of the work is one-on-one, and much of it is NOT glamorous. No one should enter the ministry because he loves fame or a spotlight or admiring crowds. If that’s your thing (and that’s not necessarily bad) try acting or another performance-based vocation. But if you are willing to SPEND YOUR LIFE in service to others, you might consider ministry.

God, help us love our ministers, pray for them, and encourage them in their difficult, selfless occupation.

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Published by Steven Wales

Dad's Daily Devotional began as text messages to my family. I wanted my teenagers to know their father was reading the Bible. But they were at school by then. Initially, I sent them a favorite verse or an insight based on what I read each day. That grew into drafting a devotional readng which I would send them via text. I work as an attorney and an adjunct professor, and recently wrote a book called HOW TO MAKE A'S.

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