From my morning devotion:
Genesis 46:34 That ye shall say, Thy servants' trade hath been about cattle from our youth even until now, both we, and also our fathers: that ye may dwell in the land of Goshen; for every shepherd is an abomination unto the Egyptians.
also:
Acts 16:20-23 And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, 21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22 And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
Egypt is a type of sin and I would think it appropriate to call the shepherd a type of pastor. So what we have here are sinful people that don't like pastors. Not surprising when that old pride gets hurt it really stings. It's hard to be told what to do.
Ephesians 4:11,12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
But the purpose of church leadership is the perfecting of the saints. This doesn't just mean preaching and teaching but also counseling, encouragement and fellowship.
Luke 22:25,26 And he said unto them, The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and they that exercise authority upon them are called benefactors. 26 But ye shall not be so: but he that is greatest among you, let him be as the younger; and he that is chief, as he that doth serve.
Do not let a pastor act as lord over you. You have one Lord, who is Jesus Christ. You shouldn't feel like you're wasting your pastor's time or be scared to approach them, they are there for your perfection.
Lord, help us all to find pastor who love you and do what you command. Give us grace to follow them in a way that pleases you. In Jesus name, amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment