Church History’s Wish List for Pastors – Part I
When we were children, we thoughtfully prepared our Christmas wish lists, some of us even forming them throughout the year. We would ready them to our parents, telling them, “If I could just have these, I wouldn’t ever ask for anything again.” We thought the things that had meaning for us at eight years of age would still be satisfying at eighteen, thirty-eight, etc., years of age.
In like manner, when we are immature ministers – I did not say “young” – we imagine that if we could have certain things in our ministries, we would be happy for the rest of our lives: big crowds on Sundays, large social media followings, a cool brand, doing an album that hits, or (fill in the blank).
Let an eight-year old child mail her wish list to Santa. The “must have” toys and gadgets of this year will fade with time. Maybe even by next Christmas.
But such wishes are not so easily tolerated in the ministry, because minsters want affects not only them, but the people they lead. As church history reminds us, the effects can be dangerous and eternally damaging. This is one reason why the Apostles chose to walk with young ministers, helping them submit their desires to the fire of God’s holiness and love, asking if the things they desired were for His glory, the strength of His church, and the salvation of many? Or for pride (celebrity) and selfish ambition (power).
As a pastoral coach, I often remind young minsters of the teachings and experiences of the pastors, missionaries, and ministers who have gone before us. The Bible calls these lessons “wisdom.” When others have walked this way before us and give us the benefit of their education, we are wise to heed their counsel and learn from them.
The challenges facing the church, and so, pastors, are increasing. Western Civilization, founded on Judeo-Christian principles, is openly turning against those principles, and so, the church. But even large segments of the “church” are turning on those principles and God Himself, as revealed in His Word. The Gospel is more and more suspect in the eyes of those who identify as Christians, preferring a gospel and god that fits their own self-image. Evangelical and Pentecostal churches and pastors find themselves in the middle of what we call the “culture wars,” but are in fact, “truth and reality wars.” Will churches worship (aka follow) the culture or God? Will pastor have the Pauline backbone that will be required to not only withstand the coming fight, but to lead their people in being more than overcomers through Jesus?
Therefore, for Christmas, we offer a repeat of an article we published three years ago: our “Christmas Wish List for Pastors.” This list will be written not by current pastors or even me, a pastor of pastors. Instead, it will come from the pastors of church history, those whose lives and writings have stood the test of time. We will ask them to write from the perspective, not of youth, but of age, telling us what pastors really need this and every Christmas.
Part 1 of “A Christmas Wish List for Pastors.” This year, and every year, history’s pastors would give pastors these gifts:
Broken Chains
“Grant unto him, O Lord, … the power to break all the chains of the evil power of the demons, to cure all the sick, and speedily to subdue Satan beneath his feet.” Prayer of Consecration for new local bishops, Canons of Hippolytus [2nd Century AD]
A Warring Soul
“As a pastor, you’d better be ready to fight for the Gospel, but you’d better also be ready to war for your own soul …. The war of the pastorate is a deeply personal war. It is fought on the ground of the pastor’s heart. It is a war of values, allegiances, and motivations. It is about subtle desires and foundational dreams. This war is the greatest threat to every pastor. Yet it is a war that we often naively ignore or quickly forget in the busyness of local church ministry.” Paul David Tripp, “Dangerous Calling”
A Shepherd’s Heart
“When God’s sheep are in danger, the shepherd must not gaze at the stars and meditate on “inspirational” themes. He is morally obliged to grab his weapon and run to their defense.” A. W. Tozer
Fire
“Nothing but fire kindles fire. To know in one’s whole nature what it is to live by Christ; to be His, not our own; to be so occupied with gratitude for what He did for us and for what He continually is to us that His will and His glory shall be the sole desires of our life… that is the first necessity of the preacher.” Phillips Brookes, “The Joy of Preaching”
Not an Office. A Study.
“The fight to find time to read is a fight for (a pastor’s) life.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, “Preaching and Preachers”
Hearers
“We complain today that ministers do not know how to preach; but is it not equally true that our congregations do not know how to hear?” J. I. Packer
Honor
“My child, night and day remember him who speaks the word of God to you, and you shall honor him as the Lord. For in the place in which lordly rule is uttered, there is the Lord.” The Didache, AD 80-160
Insufficiency
“I am not God’s answer to every challenge and opportunity in the church. He provides others more capable than I in areas… It is just as important to recognize, for your gifts don’t lie.” Eddie Gibbs, The Journey of Ministry
Anti-Celebrity
“We have a mounting epidemic in the church. We have far too many amazing, wonderful, incredible pastors… It’s this common, everyday, seemingly innocent language of adulation (bordering on idolatrous worship) that pushes leaders down a dangerous road of secrets, deception, fraud and lies.” Jimmy Dodd, Survive or Thrive
“On the last day there will be a parade of ordinary men, whose names you have never heard, who will hear the following from the Savior: ‘Well done, good and faithful pastor.'” C. J. Mahaney
A Pastor-Confessor
“Pastor, it is plain and simple: you and I need to be pastored. One of the scandals of hordes of churches is that no one is pastoring their pastor. No one is helping him see what he is not seeing. No one is helping him examine his thoughts, desires, words, and behaviors. No one is regularly calling him to confession. No one is delineating where repentance is appropriate. No one is reaching into his discouragement with the truths of the presence, promises and provision of his Savior. No one is confronting his idolatry and pride. No one is alerting him to places of temptation and danger in his life.” Paul David Tripp, Dangerous Calling
Peer Mentors
“We should apportion our time with wisdom and spend more time with… people with resources, fellow battle warriors, and disciples. This does not mean ignoring those who need us, but if we receive from and nurture ourselves with relationships that contribute to our lives, we will be in a better condition to serve others.” José Luis Navajo, Mondays With My Old Pastor
Primary Things
“The primary task of the Church and of the Christian minister is the preaching of the Word of God.” D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, Preaching and Preachers
A Conviction
“The most faithful and effective pastors are those who are driven by deep and energizing convictions.” Albert Mohler
A Biblical Job Description
“When pastors measure whether or not they are successful, it must be by this criterion, namely, are we seeing the saints growing to completeness in Jesus Christ?” R. Albert Mohler, Jr.
Saying No
“We have a right to time alone with God, even prior to the claims of other people ,and we may insist upon having it as a completely undisturbed quiet time despite all external difficulties. For the pastor it is indispensable duty and his whole ministry will depend on it. Who can really be faithful in great things if he has not learned to be faithful in the things of daily life?” Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Life Together
Being a Scholar-Child-Rhinoceros
“Qualifications of a pastor: the mind of a scholar, the heart of a child and the hide of a rhinoceros.” Stuart Briscoe
A Study-full, Stage-free Ministry
“A passion to preach without a discipline to study is a desire to perform.” H.B. Charles, Jr. “On Pastoring”
Trembling
“I’m not about to put up a silly skit and preach a 15-minute message on ‘how to cope’ to a multitude of people who are dying and going to hell. I tremble at the thought.” David Wilkerson
Unction
“All the minister’s efforts will be vanity if he have not unction. Unction must come down from heaven and spread a saver and feeling and relish over his ministry; and among the other means of qualifying himself for his office, the Bible must hold the first place, and the last place also must be given tot he Bible and prayer.” Richard Cecil
A Yoke (And So, A Cross)
“A generation of pastors is emerging whose flaming desire is to be yoked with Christ and to do what He did. If He grounded His identity in Scripture, they will too. If he ministered in the supernatural power of the Holy Spirits, then these pastors will too by means of all the gifts of the Spirit given to the church. If he demonstrated deep-felt compassion that prompted merciful and caring conversations and actions, so will these pastors. If He preached the spiritual disciplines as means of identity formation and ministry empowerment, so will these pastors… find themselves getting alone with God in solitude and silence, passionately loving God and receiving ministry from Him just as Jesus did. If Jesus engaged in spiritual warfare in His salvation-bringing work, so will empowered pastors of the twenty-first century put on the full armour of God and stand against the enemy who prowls about deceiving and destroying people.” John W. Frye
A Final Thought
Thinking of the perfect Christmas gift for your pastor is tough. Ties are out of style. Restaurant gift cards can be hit or miss. Buying books for pastors can be difficult: what if they already have it and what about those suicidal pastors who don’t read and resource themselves?
Let our pastoral gift experts above help you find the perfect gift or gifts. The wisdom on this list is Bible-commanded, time-tested gifts that keep on giving. Not only to your pastor, but to you, your church, and the kingdom of God.
So go ahead and buy the gift card, but don’t make it your real gift. Let it be the ribbon on the package of a gift from above that has the potential to change lives for eternity.
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