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.

MILK TO MANHOOD

Heb 5:11-14About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.Is it possible to be a Christian for 25 years and not be a changed person? Last night we visited our old church for a "Christmas concert" which consisted of a woman singing and then subsequently talking about her life, followed of course, by an altar call to a room full of Christians who were sadly unaware of the dying culture around them. Instead of an altar call I wanted to stand up and give a battle cry. I wanted to tell everyone to stand up, look at the dying souls around their cozy little church, and go get dirty for Jesus. I do not mean the kind of dirty that comes from a nice Saturday at the church where people pick up trash and then celebrate that they have changed their parking lot for Christ. I am talking about the kind of dirty where the people walk out of their unchanging bubble, and engage a culture full of sex, drugs, and disease, and let the light of Christ shine into the complete darkness that is America. I was saddened that although we had left the church 6 months ago, and I will say that it is a good church as far as "good churches" go, nothing had changed since the last time we had sat in that sanctuary. The people were still the same people, nobody new. The mood was still the same mood, depressed, but almost perfectly covered up with a well practiced "church smile." And the message to the people was still the same. Don't feel bad about your life, because God will take care of you. Don't feel bad that you struggle with the same sin, because Jesus already died for that sin which you give in to every day, after day, after day. And finally, if you are not a "Christian", pray this little prayer, and your life will be so much better...just like ours..."Church Smile." To that message I say. Feel bad about your life! You are so depraved that God had to do something drastic to save you. Stop committing the SAME SIN EVERY DAY, because Jesus offers you so much more than just a life of habitual sin covered up with grace at the time of your last breath. Love Jesus! Pick up your cross and follow Jesus! PICK UP YOUR CROSS! If you are not a Christian, become one. Not so your life can feel better, but so that your life can be changed. Love Jesus and the trivial little things you are so worried about now will quickly fade as you realize the battle you have just stepped into. Love Jesus and your life will not be the same 6 months from now. There will be new people in your life, new sins to have to look to Jesus for help with, and a new smile... a real smile. A smile that comes from deep within, because that is where you will have changed, that is where you will have found life. Real, hard, dirty, grace abounding...Life.If you are a Christian... make it count. He died for you! Make it count. He chose to save you from death. Thank Him, worship Him, Love Him. Let Him work in you, and never be satisfied with just being the same person year after year after year.

CONSECRATION

The act of setting apart, or dedicating, something or someone for God's use. (New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)Rom 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.What does it mean to truly set yourself apart from God? What would your life look like if you did such a thing? I am not just talking about doing more good or less evil, but truly presenting yourself as a living sacrifice to God. What if you truly sought "what is good and acceptable and perfect."After what will always be remembered as one of my favorite turkey days ever I am reminded again that the calling on my life is to be someone who truly sets himself apart for God. Yesterday Cassie and I had the privilege of spending Thanksgiving with our friends "The Gilberts." We watched The Contender, deep fried a turkey (totally redneck, and I totally dug it), laughed at stories from our pasts, taught Zeke and Mason how to box (and even had a round between Josh and I to "show the boys what real boxing was" :-), and just had an all around incredible time.And now, I am again left with wonderful memories, and even more hope that the God we serve has even more of such great times in store for us down the road. Isn't it amazing that two families that have known each other less than 2 months, can come together in a church rented home in a city that neither one of us even knew existed 2 years ago, and celebrate Thanksgiving just as if we were all right at home? All because a handful of people have said, "Please Lord, consecrate my life for you."