THE SUCCESSFUL PASTOR

How do you measure the success of a pastor?

Big church? Lots of money? Tons of missionaries? On T.V.? Heals people?

What about changes the way people live?

Would you believe that the true measure of a good pastor could be summed up in a sentence?

Does the Holy Spirit speak Spiritual Truths through him to improve the spiritual lives of the people he is speaking to?

You could apply this measurement to any pastor of any religion of any time in history, and I believe that if you did, then you would be able to separate the men from the boys so to speak.

Why do I ask this question? You might assume it is because I feel called to preach the gospel and in so feeling that call, often wonder what God considers success. Or it could be because I am married. And I have the privilege of being married to a godly woman who often shows me incredible insight into my life’s questions without even knowing I have been asking them.

Example.

How do you measure the success of a pastor?

My wife listened to a sermon by Dr. Jeremiah of Shadow Mountain Church. The sermon was on the wise men. My wife had already been asking why on “our nativity” we have the wise men at the manger when biblically the wise men did not come into the picture until some time later. Dr. Jeremiah’s sermon on the wise men spoke right to her. The Holy Spirit spoke through him, as a man, and spoke spiritual insight to my wife. But did it change anything about the way she lived her life?

“Our nativity” now features Joseph, Mary, the Baby Jesus, a shepherd, and an Angel…and a little ways off, carrying their gifts, are the wise men, on their way to see the Messiah.

A successful sermon.

Instantaneous change in a life.

Not just pretty words to pretty people, but life changing words, spoken by the Holy Spirit, through a man, and into the hearts of many.

Thank you Holy Spirit for using godly men to change the lives of others for Your kingdom. Thank you Jesus for making it all possible. Merry Christmas.