Introduction:
Regardless of
how much you think your pastor likes you or not, you can and should appreciate
your pastor. God calls us to honour those who are in authority over us. It is
easy to criticize pastors on how much they do on their sermon with words like
this:
“The sermon
today was jerky”
“I didn’t really
connect with the sermon”
“I think the
pastor could have done a better job preparing his sermon”
“I didn’t make
any sense from the sermon”
We often forget that the
pastor has a life, family and other responsibilities throughout the week. We forget that the pastor is
pastoring the whole congregation and the needs of everyone is different. I
remember the day I insisted that we separate the children from our main service
here in Mount Zion Baptist church Boko. My feedback was brought in by my
daughter Faith when she went home and was struggling to preach my message at
home. The poor girl at age 3 or so was struggle to hammer at home and I could
not get all the words from her mouth. That’s when I knew that I cannot preach
to children and adults at the same time. I could only hear “believe in the Lord
Jesus” from her mouth. That’s what made me know that she was struggling to
replay my sermon that Sunday. But she could not get all my words with the speed
and the mature words that was not destined for children who are still learning.
So, note that the Pastor has every worshipper in mind when presenting his
message.
If we didn’t
like the sermon, we don’t trust that the Holy Spirit is working in and through
the pastor, their message, and the church and that someone in the church needed
to hear that exact message. If we are not careful, we can fall victim to the
spirit of entitlement where it becomes all about us. Remember that
even if one person’s life is changed by the pastor’s message, then isn’t that
what it’s all about?
Where did honouring
pastors start?
Throughout
church history, leaders were to be honoured. Pastors are to be considered
worthy of double honour for assuming this role in Christ’s church and to do it
well. But, typically with double honour,
you can expect double stress, this is why we need to make an even greater
effort to celebrate and encourage those in leadership.
“Let the
elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honour, especially those
who labour in preaching and teaching.” 1 Timothy 5:17
Is honouring Pastors Important?
Of course!
Obey
your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as
those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with
groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. Hebrews 13:17
Your leaders are
entrusted to watch over the entire congregation, small group, family group,
etc. This can be a very overwhelming task and one that can lead to a lot of
stress, late nights, and coffee. Leaders have a tendency to serve whether it is
within their ministry or outside of the church walls, they simply love to serve
and meet the needs of others. Whether it be time, money, meals, encouragement,
leaders love to lend a hand. It is
important to notice everything that your Pastor does for the congregation but
what most people don’t realize is that they are not given back to very often.
They easily slip
through the cracks and we assume that they are doing fine and they are getting
their needs met. If everyone had this mentality, then no one would be giving back to their
Pastor. That is why this time in our calendar is most important. We should all
appreciate or learn to appreciate our Pastors or Leaders and encourage them as
much as they encourage each of us. At the end of the day, your Pastor is still
a part of the body of Christ just like us and they should be treated in the
same way we treat our other brothers and sisters.
How do I honour my Pastor?
1. By Supporting him
The elders who
are good leaders should be considered worthy of an ample honorarium, especially
those who work hard at preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says: Do not
muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain, and, the worker is worthy of
his wages (1 Timothy 5:17-18). Quoted from Deut 24:4-15
God’s people should pay their pastors generously,
although no specific amount is given. Of course it’s not God’s plan for pastors
to swindle/cheat their sheep or for churches to neglect their pastors. Paul
even puts it clearer in 1 Corinthians 9:13-14 that those who proclaim the
gospel should get their living by the gospel. You don’t need to be a theologian or Bible scholar to understand that,
it is clear.
All pastors are to be honoured, but two kinds of
pastors are worthy of “double honour” (v.17):
1.
“The elders who are good leaders.”
2.
“Those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”
The pastor’s job is to take care of his church, and
it’s the church’s job to take care of their pastors.
Those who proclaim the gospel should make their living
by the gospel (1 Corinthians 9:14).
The one who is taught the message must share all his
good things with the teacher (Galatians 6:6). God is not mocked; you reap what you sow; so do
not be deceived.
i.
Bring Your Pastor Food and
share with his family. This can bring hours of closeness and rest to your
pastor and family.
ii.
Celebrate Big with your
pastor. Let him know how much you appreciate him for the work he does
iii.
Make meaningful conversation
with him. Not just talking about the negative things in other people’s lives.
Ask the pastor about his problems and how you can be of help and how you can be
praying specifically for him. That is what the pastor needs.
iv.
Show up in events, classes,
services, etc. it is encouraging for your pastor to see that you are present in
the programs and that you are also encouraging others.
v.
Be an active listener in
services. The pastor’s responsibility is to teach and he wants to be sure that
you are listening actively. A pastor can tell if you were attentive in the
service or not. Encourage your pastor by being an active listener
vi.
Show kindness to your
pastor’s family. He is human and would also love to see that you care for his
family even as he cares for your spiritual growth.
vii.
Support your pastor
financially (1 Thessalonians 5:12-13; 1
Timothy 5:17; 1 Corinthians 9:14). Hopefully, you will not do
this out of a grudging heart or because you know the church is keeping track of
who’s giving and who’s not. Whether or not your pastor knows you’re giving, you
ought to do so. Small cash gifts, given personally, may also be an
encouragement to the pastor.
viii.
Don’t give gifts to your pastor with secret agendas. eg.
Giving your pastor a book on leadership because you think he is failing in some
leadership skills. That may cause the pastor not to appreciate your gift except
he expressed the need. That’s why you must be honest to talk with your pastor.
ix.
Don’t give a New Bible to
your pastor. It sound’s strange right?
If your pastor has not expressed the need for a particular Bible
translation, do not give him. It may not be of use to him even though he will
take it. Most pastors have libraries of Bibles, so your new Bible may not bring
value to your Pastor.
2. By defending him
A
non-negotiable qualification for an elder is that he must have a good
reputation with outsiders (1 Timothy 3:7). Apparently,
several church leaders attacked the apostle Paul’s reputation, and see what he
writes:
Alexander the coppersmith did me great harm; the Lord
will repay him according to his deeds. Beware of him yourself, for he strongly
opposed our message. At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all
deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and
strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and
all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was
rescued from the lion's mouth. (2 Timothy 4:14–17).
It’s the church member’s job to not only provide for
his or her pastors, but to also protect them from the Alexanders in the church
and community. Joseph, Moses, David, Jeremiah, and Nehemiah were also
criticized publicly. It’s not enough to defend our pastors privately. It’s each
of our job to make sure our pastors aren’t treated like a floor-mat or punching
bag.
i.
Be loyal to your pastor. The best encouragement that a
pastor can receive is the gift of his people’s loyalty. If your pastor is a person of integrity, who loves
Jesus, who is committed to God’s Word, and who faithfully shepherds their flock
in a biblical way, stick with them. You may
recognize his humanness and identify his weaknesses, but you can stick with
him. Pastors need people to go through the tough times. They need you.
Encourage your pastor by being loyal to them.
ii.
When in doubt about anything ask. A lot of problems
usually come from rumours and misconceptions.
iii.
Make sure you
have a good connection. Do not jump from church to church when you are
frustrated. Your church is your family, stay committed and you can truly defend
even your pastor.
3. By recognizing them
Now we ask you, brothers, to give recognition to
those who labour among you and lead you in the Lord and admonish you (1
Thessalonians 5:12).
If pastors do the best they can, the church will do
the best they can to take care of them. Honestly, that has been the case most
of the time, but not all of the time. Sometimes the pastors didn’t do the best
they could, while the church did. Other times, the pastors did the best they
could and the church didn’t step up. Why
is that? Because we’re a family—and families make mistakes.
It seems to take less effort to point out someone’s
weaknesses than their strengths. Are you
ready to recognise your pastor today in public?
i.
Thank your pastor regularly.
The way you appreciate your pastor matters. Just telling him “Thank you for the
work you are doing” is good but not so meaningful. If you tell him, “Thank you
for the verse 17 you explained today in the sermon. I will share this with my
children at home today. I didn’t understand it that way but now I see. You
really did a lot of studies on this”. That gives more meaning than the generic
thank you. “I was blessed”.
ii.
Never give history lessons
for your pastor. Don’t compare him with
the former pastor or former golden years. That is a way to recognise your
pastor.
iii.
Remember there is only one
senior pastor. He is the one in charge and may be busy in some situations. So
be your pastor’s eyes and ears. Don’t let things pass on which he didn’t know
about it.
4. By loving them
Their job is to “keep watch over you” (Hebrews 13:17), but sometimes they need you to watch over them as
well. Whether they’re leading successfully or failing miserably, in season and
out of season, they all need the respect and love of their church families.
Regard them very highly in love because of their work (1 Thessalonians 5:13).
Make sure your pastor knows that he’s a beloved member
of your church family, and not just an employee who will eventually go
somewhere else.
It is right for me to think this way about all of you,
because I have you in my heart, and you are all partners with me in grace, both
in my imprisonment and in the defense and establishment of the
gospel. For God is my witness, how deeply I miss all of you with the
affection of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:7–8).
i.
Another way of showing love to your pastor is by
growing in grace. Nearly two-thousand years ago, the apostle John wrote the
heart-cry of nearly every pastor across the ages: “I have no greater joy than to hear
that my children are walking in the truth” (3 John 1:4). If you really want to show
appreciation — to give your pastor his greatest joy — walk in truth. Don’t do
this just for your pastor. Do this because you’re a Christian and because
Christians grow (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
ii.
Always be honest to your pastor and if you have a
problem, go and talk to him; don’t complain to others. He may not welcome your
idea but don’t be discouraged, you have done what is right and your pastor is
also human.
Conclusion:
1. HONOR YOUR
PASTOR BY SUPPORTING HIM
2. HONOR YOUR PASTOR
BY DEFENDING HIM
3. HONOR YOUR PASTOR
BY RECOGNIZING HIM
4. HONOR YOUR PASTOR
BY LOVING HIM
