The greatest failure a pastor can have is not necessarily moral, it is spiritual. Failure to pray for God’s people. Failure to faithfully study God’s Word in preparation for Sunday’s message.
Church members… and many preachers… think they are faithful by visiting the hospital and members at home. I beg to differ! The best way a pastor can prove he loves the Bride of Christ is to pray for them… to diligently study God’s Word… to preach in the Spirit every Sunday. If a pastor is not faithful in those things, he has failed God’s people… regardless of what they think or expect.
I’ve had men tell me there is more to being a pastor than just preaching. I agree… there is prayer! I don’t care what else a preacher does, if he does not faithfully pray and deliver God’s Word to God’s people, he is a failure. He can visit every person in the hospital and at home, but if his ability to deliver God’s Word is lacking… he is a failure.
Just a thought…
Ron,
You concluded this blog with the statement, “Just a thought….”. Yet. with this statement, I must beg to differ. This blog was packed with much more than a “thought”! The Holy Spirit put the pen (or iPad) in your hand and the PUNCH to this preacher’s gut (heart). I was reminded that 30 years of ministerial experience is, in comparison to the omnipotent, omnipresent, eternal God, small potatoes! Yet, way to often,, this small potatoe preacher has attempted to tackle God size ministry within the power of ‘personal/professional’ experience.
Oh how I needed the reminder that failure to pray and failure to study the Bible, equals failure; PERIOD!
My prayer is that we ministers will become more and more under-shepherds, as the Shepherd pastors His sheep. Also, I pray that He will help us accept the responsibility to equip the flock with the facts of this “failure” blog. Until the flock understands what it means to fail, they will continue to measure success with a broken plum line!
Just more than a thought….
Dave