Shepherd and Sheep Series-How to Encourage Your Pastor

Discouragement is a pastor killer. The Lord's Sheep have a wonderful opportunity to be of great encouragement to God’s under shepherds. Your pastor would be encouraged if he knew you were praying for him consistently. Even the Apostle Paul pleaded for the prayers of those to whom he ministered. He also told them how to pray. “Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…that utterance may be given unto me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the mystery of the gospel” (Ephesians 6:18-19). Your pastor would appreciate help with routine tasks so that he could maintain his God given priorities.” When a pastor is expected to do everything, he has little time for the primary ministry to which God has called him. It was for this reason that Godly assistants were chosen in the early church. Then the apostles could give themselves…continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word” (Acts 6:4). Your Pastor is encouraged when people come to church expecting to receive a message from the Lord. Rather than evaluating or critiquing the points of the sermon, a Christian who is hungering and thirsting after God’s Word will be alert for insights and direction through songs, prayers, messages, the reading of the Word, or Scripture which God brings to their mind during the service. Nothing encourages a pastor more than reports of those who were hearers and doers of the messages which God used him to bring. (See II Corinthians 3:1-6). Your Pastor is strengthened by members who work for harmony within the church. Harmony begins by each member being in a right relationship with the Lord. It is strengthened by a friendly smile and a word of encouragement whenever Christians meet together. It is guarded and protected when members refuse to spread gossip. And if broken, it is restored when Christians ask forgiveness when they have been wrong. “With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:2-3). Your Pastor is grateful when members offer special assistance prior to a major church event. Often a person whom the pastor was counting on finds that he is unable to carry out a responsibility due to sickness, conflicting responsibilities, or the need for further assistance. One pastor stated, “Whenever a person calls before a major event, I can always thing of several things that he could do that would help me out.” Your pastor is thankful for members who honor the Lord in their finances and give in obedience to His direction. True giving occurs when members dedicate the ownership of all they have to the Lord and live in harmony with His principles. One of these principles involves laying in store as God prospered you during the past week. (See II Corinthians 9:7). A wise pastor knows that those who sow generously will reap generously and those who sow sparingly will reap sparingly. (See II Corinthians 9:6). He is also aware that whatever is given to the ministry of the Lord constitutes eternal treasures which are laid up for the giver in heaven. (See Matthew 6:19-21). Your pastor is challenged by members who have an effective witness in the community and who are leading others to Christ. A healthy church is not only growing by those who receive Christ during the services but by those who are witnessed to during the week. Pastors are overjoyed when they see members bring to the church those to whom they have witnessed during the week. This is what took place in the early church. “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved” (Acts 2:47). Based on these ideas, can you say that you are participating in the action described in Ephesians 4:16? “From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplies, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, makes increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.” Which one of these could you do right now to encourage your pastor today? Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

The Importance of Unity

Please read Ephesians 4:1-16. All of Paul's letters contain a beautiful balance between doctrine and duty, and Ephesians is the perfect example. The first three chapters deal with doctrine, our riches in Christ, while the last three chapters explain duty, our responsibilities in Christ. The Christian life is not based on ignorance but knowledge, and the better we understand Bible doctrine, the easier it is to obey Bible duties. The main idea in these first 16 verses is the unity of believers in Christ, This is simply the practical application of the doctrine taught in the first half of the letter: God is building a Body, a Temple. He has reconciled Jews and Gentiles to Himself in Christ. The oneness of believers in Christ is already a spiritual reality. Our responsibility is to guard, protect and preserve that unity. To do this we must understand four important facts. First, the grace of unity. If we are going to preserve the "Unity of the Spirit" we must possess the necessary seven Christian graces. 1. Humility. Means putting Christ first, others second and self last. It is having a right attitude toward God, others, and our self. 2. Meekness. It is not weakness but power under the control of the Holy Spirit. In the Greek language, this word was used for a soothing medicine, a colt that had been broken and a soft wind. 3. Long suffering. The ability to endure discomfort without fighting back. Long suffering is developed by suffering long. 4. Forbearance. This is a grace that cannot be experienced apart from love. Means putting up with another person. 5. Love. "Love suffers long and is kind." 6. Endeavor. Means being eager to maintain, or guard the unity of the Spirit. The verb used here is a present participle, which means we must constantly be endeavoring to maintain this unity. When we think the situation is the best, Satan will move in to wreck it. The spiritual unity of a home, a Sunday School class, or a Church is the responsibility of each person involved and the job never ends. 7. The final grace is peace. The reason for war on the outside is war on the inside. If a believer cannot get along with God, he will not get along with other believers. When "The peace of God" rules in our hearts, then we build unity. Second, the ground of unity. Unity built on anything other than Bible truth is standing on a very shaky foundation. Paul names several basic spiritual realities that unify all true Christians. 1. One Body. This is the Body of Christ. 2. One Spirit. The same Holy Spirit indwells each believer, so that we belong to each other in the Lord. 3. One hope of your calling. This refers to the return of the Lord to take His Church to heaven. 4. One Lord. Acknowledging the Lordship of Christ is a giant step toward spiritual unity among His people. 5. One faith. This refers to the body of truth found in the Word of God. 6. One baptism. This is the baptism of the Holy Spirit, that act of the Spirit when He places the believing sinner into the Body of Christ. 7. One God and Father. We are children in the same family. Third, the gifts for unity. Paul named the gifted men God has placed in the Church. 1. Apostles. There are no Apostles today in the strictest sense. These men helped to lay the foundation of the church. (note Romans 16:7 and II Cor. 8:23). 2. Prophets. A New Testament prophet is one who proclaims the Word of God. There are no Prophets who for-tell the Word because the Scriptures are complete. 3. Evangelists. The evangelists built upon the foundation by winning the lost and planting churches. 4. Pastor-teachers. It is the pastors job to lead and feed the flock. The Word of God nourishes the sheep and guides and disciplines the sheep. Forth, the growth of unity. The members of the Church grow by feeding on the Word and ministering to each other. The first evidence of spiritual growth is Christ likeness. The second evidence is stability. The maturing Christian is not tossed about by every religious novelty that comes along. Truth without love is brutality, but love without truth is hypocrisy. "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful" (Prov. 27:6). The last evidence of maturity is cooperation. Each believer, no matter how insignificant he may appear has a ministry to other believers. Spiritual unity is not something we manufacture. It is something we already have in Christ and we must protect and maintain it. Trust unites, but lies divide. Love unites, but selfishness divides. Therefore, "Speaking the truth in love" let us equip one another and edify one another, that all of us may grow up to be more like Christ. Dr. Ken Copley is available for counseling, conferences, and local church meetings.

Spiritual warfare and relationships

Satan's power and control are contingent. He is dependent on our participation in sin. following the bent of his murdering nature, he wants relationships broken and/or distorted. How he does that varies from relationship to relationship. We must be careful not to give Satan to much credit-he takes advantage of our sin to bring breaches or build inappropriate dependencies, but he is not responsible for all of our bad relationships. God has set us free through Jesus to live in loving relationships with others. God is compassionate, a term which denotes the strong tie that God has with His children; He looks upon them as a Father upon His children; with a deep, tender love. He is gracious, which depicts a heartfelt response by someone who has something to give to one who has a need. He is slow to anger, His anger prolongs itself and is not quick to inflict punishment on the sinner, in order that he may repent. He is abounding in loving kindness (tender and benevolent affection; loyal covenant love) and truth (faithfulness) ("reliability, trustworthiness," the attribute of someone one can depend on, certainly, dependability). These two combine in a single attribute- loving kindness of truth, true and faithful loving kindness. He keeps, with complete faithfulness, His promises to shew loving kindness and bestow good. God keeps loving kindness for thousands. This takes off from Exodus 20:2-7, which states that God punishes sins to the third and fourth generations, but shows love to thousands of generations (the term implies a limitless number) towards those who love Him. How great is God's mercy in comparison to His wrath. This brings us to the question a Lawyer asked Jesus. In the New Testament our Lord answered a Lawyer's question as to which is the greatest commandment. "He answered 'love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;' and 'love your neighbor as yourself." Luke 10:27. Relationships are at the center of the Christian life. The believers priority relation is to be with God, who desires a relationship of love with each of us. This relationship is responsive in that "We love Him because He first loved us." How do I know I am loving Him with my entire being? I am loving God most when I am abiding in a intimate relationship of trust with Him. A real need among believers is how to exercise discernment in relationships. Examples of wrong relational discernment is identifying with movie stars and patterning ones life after them, or becoming involved with pornography. One might simply use people wrongly for personal advancement or in other unethical ways. How does this work in the Church. Many fellowships have started down the slope that leads to relational destruction by demanding her members wear masks. What does a mask look like? It's the I've got my life together, everything is under control and all is just fine with me mask. Just let slip that you have spiritual doubts and confusion, try asking prayer for your daughter who is pregnant out of wedlock, or your son who is struggling with homosexual issues. Let your mask slip a little and expose some of your real self. You may be embraced by believers who are filled with the sweet love of Christ. However I have seen the pronouncement of "You are unclean, you are not welcome here," far to many times. Our relational discernment will have it's outworking in our love for God and others. The Holy Spirit is the relationship expert, allow Him through the Scriptures to develop in you relational discernment.