On Being a Pastor: Understanding Our Calling and Work

by Derek J. Prime

The term “pastor and teacher” denotes one office in Ephesians 4:11, and shepherding and teaching are twin tasks. Some have tried to separate them in that they feel that their call is just to teach and not to shepherd. But the shepherding aspect of the ministry keeps us in touch with reality—with genuine issues and problems—as we teach the Word of God. To teach the Scriptures effectively we must apply them, and, with the Spirit’s help, we can do this only as we are in touch with things as they really are in the lives of men and women. We have to determine sometimes the order of their priority in our work, in that some may be called more to pastoral work, and others more to teaching. But both are priorities, and they need to be kept together.

As others observe our conduct, they ought to be able to see that we are upright, in that we do not deviate from what is right; and that we are blameless (Titus 1:7), in that no censure can be placed at our door from our failure to fulfill our responsibilities to our neighbor. Busyness with the concerns of God’s people must not be an excuse for neglecting our neighbor—this was the priest’s and the Levite’s mistake in the familiar story of the Good Samaritan. As shepherds and teachers we should stand out as those who love what is good (Titus 1:8).

Our lifestyle should bear the evidences of our heavenly citizenship (Philippians 3:20), in that it indicates where our treasure is. While on the one hand we are to be marked by the willingness to work hard (2 Thessalonians 3:7–10), it is to be equally clear that the love of money is not our motivation (1 Timothy 3:3), and that we want nothing to do with dishonest gain (Titus 1:7). Although it may be a hard path to follow, we should accept whatever salary God’s people choose to give, leaving it to others to act on our behalf.

Rather than being lovers of money, we are to be lovers of God and of people, so that we willingly and spontaneously open our homes to them (1 Timothy 3:2).

The expression of love is the most powerful answer to most relationship problems that arise in a church. If it is clear to all that the shepherd and teacher strives to love everyone equally, and endeavors to have no particular friends but rather to be everyone’s friend, then people will willingly accept him as a mediator or a calming influence when human relationships are under stress. A church can never have too great an experience of God’s love, and the shepherd and teacher must be at the forefront of its expression.

Our work especially requires faith. If we fail in faith, we had better not have undertaken it; and unless we obtain faith commensurate with the service, we shall soon grow weary of it. It is proven by all observation that success in the Lord’s service is very generally in proportion to faith. It certainly is not in proportion to ability, nor does it always run parallel with a display of zeal; but it is invariably according to the measure of faith, for this is a law of the Kingdom without exception, “According to your faith be it unto you.” It is essential, then, that we should have faith if we are to be useful, and that we should have great faith if we are to be greatly useful. . . . We, above all men, need the mountain-moving faith, by which, in the old time, men of God “subdued kingdoms, wrought righteousness, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.”

If we are to be obedient to our Lord Jesus Christ in our neighborhoods and spheres of influence, God’s people need to be led out into new ventures of faith, whether in evangelism, church planting, or other enterprises. Faith’s secret is large views of God our Savior—and He is so great that our views can never be large enough. As shepherds and teachers, we need to cultivate daily personal Bible study and helpful reading of Christian literature that fans and nurtures faith. In that way we serve God’s people by stirring and feeding their faith through example, sometimes almost unconsciously, since we cannot measure the degree to which our exhibition of faith encourages it in others.

The apostle John had no option but to condemn the example of a church leader—Diotrephes—who loved to be first (3 John 9). Our goal is not empire building. Although all called to serve our Lord Jesus Christ would accept that, it is easy nevertheless to err in this respect through lack of personal watchfulness. Lording it over others has no place in the work of shepherds and teachers (2 Corinthians 1:24; 1 Peter 5:3). The key title for those in Christ’s service is servant. Shepherds and teachers are for churches, not churches for shepherds and teachers. Churches do not exist for our benefit or for our livelihood. We exist rather for their good.

The threefold instruction—“Feed my lambs” (verse 15), “Take care of my sheep” (verse 16), and “Feed my sheep” (verse 17)—highlights three principal areas of pastoral care. The young—both in age and in faith—are to be carefully fed (verse 15); all Christians require general pastoral care (verse 16); and established Christians need to progress toward maturity (verse 17).

Spurgeon made this point in a somewhat amusing way when talking to pastors: “When a man is upstairs in bed, and cannot do any hurt, you pray for him. When he is downstairs, and can do no end of mischief, you do not pray for him. Is this wise and prudent?”

“Much study wearies the body” is the practical comment of the writer of Ecclesiastes (12:12), and since there is really no end to study we need to beware of getting its importance out of perspective. Our study is not an end in itself: Its purpose is the proper feeding of Christ’s flock. One of the advantages of our calling is that we are both shepherds and teachers, so that our time is not to be given completely to study. Too much study is bad for us; it needs to be linked with other activities.