Why I don't put my hope in my pastor
A few months ago we got a new pastor at our church and things turned around for us in a big way. Our church began to grow in ways I hadn't seen in the time I'd been there. A few weeks ago, we got a new youth pastor and I began to think about how much I hope I had in these two men for our church. We had so much drama in our church and we are still working through it, but things really started turning around when when we got new leadership. I began to hope. I began to hope for a new children's ministry and new families. I began to hope for a thriving church body and a modern service. I hoped for a pastor who preached things that spoke to me. I hoped for changes that would transform a sleeping church into a thriving one.
It wasn't until I began to see these changes in action that I was so wrong. I should not have invested my hope in men, but in God. God is the one who works the through the spirit of the church and awakens our souls to become passionate for his will. God uses men, but it is not the men in whom we should hope, but the One from whom their power comes. Our hope needs to be in Christ because if we put our hope in men, we will be utterly disappointed. The Holy Spirit has awoken our church. We are growing because we are submitting to God's will and not relying on the plans of men.
I think it is worth mentioning that submission is an important part of this process. If our church had not submitted to the authority that God gave to our pastor, we would not be growing. It is evident when our congregation is hesitant to submit because we see that these ministries are less successful. It can go wrong in two ways: putting to much hope in the man and not the God who put him there, and not submitting to the authority God gave him.
It's inevitable that men will fail us, but God never will. God works through the men that he puts in authority over us. I have always had issues with authority figures. In my teenage years, that was my parents. In the first few months of marriage, that was my husband. Today it is a conscious effort to submit to authority, but I do it with joy at church because God has chosen those people who are authority.
If we deny the authority that God has put in place, we are questioning God's will.
I don't put hope in my pastor. Not because he's a good twenty years younger than the average age of the congregation or because he's making huge changes towards growing the church, but because he is just a man. He is flawed and imperfect. He sins just like you and me. I am sure at some point he will fail me. Whether that is in the implementation of a program that I do not believe in or in using the wrong words or method when talking to me and my husband about our problems. Sometimes it's hard to get behind a program that I don't full agree with. In the planning stages, it is important to bring up issues and disagreements, but once the pastor says that the program is happening, it is incredibly important to support that with time, energy, and resources.
God uses imperfect people to work for his perfect plan. We see it over and over in the Bible: David, Rahab, Jacob, Noah, Miriam. The Bible does not hide the sins they commit, but uses their sins to show what men intended for evil, God uses for good. Our sin nature means we are imperfect and fallible. That doesn't men God cannot use us. God uses the fallible and the unexpected. He sent His Son, not as a king, but as a carpenter. He chose a shepherd boy to become a king. He chose a tiny nation to defeat giants. He chose a prostitute to be in the lineage of kings. God chose underdogs because they would be a clear demonstration of His power.
I think God gave us our pastor and gave him the authority he did because it would be clear that it was Him working through him. Our church was reluctant to have such a young pastor. We could have made a mighty fine game out of the number of times the congregation spoke of his youthfulness, especially in prayer. We needed that youthfulness to awaken our church and that is why God gave us a young pastor. I say young, though he is at least ten years older than me.
I am in awe of both how and what God is doing within the church. I am grateful to be able to participate in His plans the way I am. God works through underestimated people in unexpected ways.
It wasn't until I began to see these changes in action that I was so wrong. I should not have invested my hope in men, but in God. God is the one who works the through the spirit of the church and awakens our souls to become passionate for his will. God uses men, but it is not the men in whom we should hope, but the One from whom their power comes. Our hope needs to be in Christ because if we put our hope in men, we will be utterly disappointed. The Holy Spirit has awoken our church. We are growing because we are submitting to God's will and not relying on the plans of men.
I think it is worth mentioning that submission is an important part of this process. If our church had not submitted to the authority that God gave to our pastor, we would not be growing. It is evident when our congregation is hesitant to submit because we see that these ministries are less successful. It can go wrong in two ways: putting to much hope in the man and not the God who put him there, and not submitting to the authority God gave him.
It's inevitable that men will fail us, but God never will. God works through the men that he puts in authority over us. I have always had issues with authority figures. In my teenage years, that was my parents. In the first few months of marriage, that was my husband. Today it is a conscious effort to submit to authority, but I do it with joy at church because God has chosen those people who are authority.
If we deny the authority that God has put in place, we are questioning God's will.
I don't put hope in my pastor. Not because he's a good twenty years younger than the average age of the congregation or because he's making huge changes towards growing the church, but because he is just a man. He is flawed and imperfect. He sins just like you and me. I am sure at some point he will fail me. Whether that is in the implementation of a program that I do not believe in or in using the wrong words or method when talking to me and my husband about our problems. Sometimes it's hard to get behind a program that I don't full agree with. In the planning stages, it is important to bring up issues and disagreements, but once the pastor says that the program is happening, it is incredibly important to support that with time, energy, and resources.
God uses imperfect people to work for his perfect plan. We see it over and over in the Bible: David, Rahab, Jacob, Noah, Miriam. The Bible does not hide the sins they commit, but uses their sins to show what men intended for evil, God uses for good. Our sin nature means we are imperfect and fallible. That doesn't men God cannot use us. God uses the fallible and the unexpected. He sent His Son, not as a king, but as a carpenter. He chose a shepherd boy to become a king. He chose a tiny nation to defeat giants. He chose a prostitute to be in the lineage of kings. God chose underdogs because they would be a clear demonstration of His power.
I think God gave us our pastor and gave him the authority he did because it would be clear that it was Him working through him. Our church was reluctant to have such a young pastor. We could have made a mighty fine game out of the number of times the congregation spoke of his youthfulness, especially in prayer. We needed that youthfulness to awaken our church and that is why God gave us a young pastor. I say young, though he is at least ten years older than me.
I am in awe of both how and what God is doing within the church. I am grateful to be able to participate in His plans the way I am. God works through underestimated people in unexpected ways.
Hello Mrs. Jackie. I am a Pastor from Mumbai, India and I love to get connected with the people of God around the world to be encouraged, strengthened and praying for one another. I am blessed and feel privileged and honored to know you and get connected with you because of who you are in the Lord Jesus Christ. I have been in the Pastoral ministry for last 36 yrs in this great city of Mumbai a city with a great contrast where richest of rich and the poorest of poor live. We reach out to the poorest of poor with the love of Christ to bring healing to the brokenhearted. We also encourage young and the adults from the west to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. We would love to have young people from your Church to come to Mumbai to work with us during their vacation time. I am sure they will have a life changing experience. My email id is: dhwankhede(at)gmail(dot)com and my name is Diwakar Wankhede. Looking forward to hear from you very soon. God's richest blessings on you, your family and friends and also wishing you a blessed and a Christ centered rest of the year 2016
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs. Jackie. Your post on " Why I do not put my hope on my Pastor" is so biblical and is a caution to us not to put your trust in man but in the Lord. I am blessed and comes to me as a reminder to let the body of Christ trust the Lord rather then your abilities and experience.
ReplyDeleteHello Mrs. Jackie. Your post on " Why I do not put my hope on my Pastor" is so biblical and is a caution to us not to put your trust in man but in the Lord. I am blessed and comes to me as a reminder to let the body of Christ trust the Lord rather then your abilities and experience.
ReplyDelete