1 Peter 5:2 (NKJV) Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly;
God is a God of order, and He has put in place an order and a system for the church to function effectively and efficiently. Sadly, recent findings by research done by Barna show that many pastors are burnt out or on the verge of it, with 46% of pastors under the age of 45 and 34% of those who are 45 or older saying they are considering quitting full-time ministry.
One of the key challenges faced by local pastors in this day and age is the easy access to many kinds of teaching on the Internet. Knowingly or unknowingly, church members come to church for worship, but they have lost their respect for the local pastor due to comparison with the world-acclaimed preachers that they read or hear online, and some may even start to criticise the local pastor. These criticisms can greatly discourage the pastor contributing to their burnout.
Due to the pandemic, many Christians have stopped attending church altogether and opted for online church services. It is unhealthy for them because their choice will be based on what is palatable to them. As for the body of believers, there are two dangers. First, the local church will suffer from a drop in attendance, and second, no proper pastoral care will be shown to those who don’t commit to a local church. Not only does this send a message to their children that church is a last priority, but they also will not know who to call for pastoral care when they encounter an emergency, marital issues, or any other need that arises.
When you relocate or repatriate, many of you may visit different churches to choose the most suitable one. Here are some tips. You should listen to what God has called the church to do in the community and check out the different ministries in the church to know whether they cater to the needs of your family. More importantly, you need to check whether the church is sound biblically through the preaching of the Word. If you can worship God, serve in the church, be ministered to by the different ministries, and grow through the teaching of the Word, you should stay in that church!
One last important consideration is whether you can have respect for the Lead or Senior Pastor because if you are unhappy with them, you will not receive the Word of God from the pulpit ministry. Finally, if you do decide to stay with the local church and identify it as your home church, you should be a strong advocate of what God has called the church to do by aligning your words and actions with the home church.
Sermon Series: The Pastor
委身教会的重要性
彼得前书5:2 务要牧养在你们中间 神的群羊、按着 神旨意照管他们．不是出于勉强、乃是出于甘心．也不是因为贪财、乃是出于乐意。
上帝是秩序之主。上帝也为教会建立了秩序和系统，以有效并高效地运作。根据巴纳最近的研究，我们意识到，许多牧师已精疲力竭或濒临崩溃，45岁以下的牧师中有46%表示他们正在考虑辞去全职服事，而45岁及以上的牧师中这一比例为34%。
在当今这个世代，地方牧师面临的关键挑战之一是人们能够轻易在互联网上获得很多的五花八门的教导。教会成员虽然来到地方教会聚会，却有意或无意地倾向于将地方牧师与国际知名的传教士进行比较，乃至失去了对地方牧师的敬意。有些人甚至开始批评地方牧师。牧师可能会因为这些批评而低落气馁，导致他们心力交瘁。
由于疫情，许多基督徒不再去教堂，而是开始在网上参加礼拜。而他们也会基于自己的喜好而选择不同的礼拜方式。这样的礼拜方式对信徒的肢体会产生两大危险。首先，地方教会将因出席人数的下降而受到影响，其次，这些不愿委身于地方教会的人将得不到合宜的教牧关怀。这么做不仅是给自己的孩子们暗示说“教会排在优先列表的最末尾”，并且当遭遇紧急情况、婚姻问题或任何其他突发的紧急需要时，他们将不知道该向谁寻求教牧关怀。
当我们移居到一个新的城市，或离开家几年后回国时，大多数人会花一些时间去拜访不同的教会以选择一个最合适的。这里有一些窍门，当我们拜访不同的教会时，我们应该倾听上帝呼召那间教会在其社群中做什么，还要了解这间教会的各项事工，以了解它是否满足你家庭的需要。最重要的是，我们要通过教会的证道来查验这间教会的教导是否符合圣经。如果你能在那里敬拜上帝，在其中服侍，接受不同事工的服侍，并藉着教会中的圣经教导而成长，你就应该留在那间教会。
最后一个重要的考虑因素是，你是否能够尊重教会领袖或主任牧师，否则如果你对他们不满，你将无法领受他或她的讲坛服事。最终，当你决定留在那间地方教会并确定她是你所要委身的教会时，你应该成为一个坚定的倡导者并拥护上帝对这件教会的呼召，你需要逐渐地让自己的言语和行为都与这间委身的教会相称。
讲章系列：牧师
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