Ephesians 1: 1a (NKJV) Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God
Being a pastor is a calling from God, or by the will of God. It involves living the consecrated life where they set themselves apart to serve the living God full-time. Those who are called will have a longing in their hearts accompanied by a confirmation of their calling through the Word of God. Nobody should enter pastoral ministry simply because they have run out of job options, as a retirement consideration, or because they are a trailing spouse since they cannot abandon the sheep just because their spouse has been posted elsewhere!
The main responsibilities of the local pastor are to look after and feed the sheep. They love the sheep and will be willing to lay down their lives for them. They will also ensure that the sheep are fed with the Word of God, but because each pastor is gifted differently, some might have a stronger teaching gift than a pastoral gift.
There are many sacrifices to be made when one responds to the full-time call of being a pastor because it is not a job but a calling and vocation. Pastoral ministry should not be taken lightly because pastors must look after the sheep—people whose lives God has placed under their care— which are God’s top priority. Therefore, no shepherd will abandon, neglect, or not care for the sheep, especially in times of need and emergency.
Matthew 9: 9 (NKJV) As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, “Follow Me.” So, he arose and followed Him.
Matthew 4: 18 – 20 (NKJV) And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.
There is a price to pay in responding to the call of God because one must forgo everything. All the apostles left behind their secular jobs when they were called into full-time ministry. Matthew was a wealthy tax collector, Peter and Andrew owned boats and a thriving fishing business, and Paul had a good standing with the Pharisees and was a leader in his own right, but all of them left everything to follow Jesus.
God is always calling people into ministry, even today, but praise the Lord that when He calls, He will also equip, anoint, and grant them the grace to serve. Nonetheless, we need to adjust our expectations towards the pastor bearing in mind that only Jesus is perfect and complete because He is God, while His undershepherds—the local pastors—are still imperfect no matter how spiritually mature they may be. However, pastors have a vested authority given by God to rule over the local church. Therefore, we can be a blessing to the local pastor by being an encourager and contributing to the growth of the church by serving with our gifts and talents.
Sermon Series: The Pastor
做牧师的呼召
以弗所书1:1 奉神旨意，作基督耶稣使徒的保罗
牧师是上帝的呼召，或者是来自上帝的旨意。它包括过成圣的生活，他们把自己和属世的追求分别开来，全心全职侍奉这位又真又活的上帝，那些被呼召的人将在他们的心中有深深的渴望，并通过神的话语确认他们的呼召。我们不鼓励人们选择牧师的职份仅仅因为他们需要一份工作，或当做是退休生活的一部分，或者因为他们是随迁的配偶–他们不能仅仅因为他们的配偶被派在其他地方而抛弃他们的羊群！
地方教会牧师的主要职责是照顾和喂养羊群。他爱他的羊群，并愿意为羊群牺牲生命。他也会确保羊群得到上帝的话语的喂养，但因为每个牧师的恩赐各有不同，有的人拥有教导的恩赐可能大过其牧养的恩赐。
当一个人回应并进入全职牧师的呼召时，是需要做出许多牺牲，因为这不是一份工作，而是一种呼召和使命。我们不应该轻看牧师的呼召，因为牧师必须照顾羊群——上帝把这些羊群的生命托付给照管他们的人们——这是上帝的最关注的事。因此，任何牧羊人（牧师）都不会放弃、忽视或不照顾他所牧养的羊，特别是在羊群有需要和情况紧急的时候。
马太福音9：9耶稣从那里往前走，看见一个人名叫马太，坐在税关上。就对他说，“你跟从我来。”他就起来跟从了耶稣。
马太福音4：4-18耶稣在加利利海边行走，看见弟兄二人，就是那称呼彼得的西门，和他兄弟安得烈，在海里撒网。他们本是打鱼的。耶稣对他们说：“来跟从我，我要叫你们得人如得鱼一样。他们就立刻舍了网，跟从了他。
回应上帝的呼召是要付上代价的，因为回应的人必须撇下一切。 当使徒在被呼召进入全职侍奉时，他们都放下了世俗的工作。 马太曾是一位富有的收税员，彼得和安德烈曾拥有船只及兴隆的捕鱼生意，保罗在法利赛人中有很高的声誉，并且他本身就是一个领袖，但他们全都撇下一切来跟随耶稣.
上帝一直在呼召人进入事工，今日也仍在呼召。不过赞美主，当祂呼召人时，祂也装备，膏抹，并赐下服侍的恩典。尽管如此，我们需要重新思想我们对牧师的期望，记住只有耶稣是完美无暇的，因为祂是上帝，而祂的下属牧人—地方教会的牧师—无论他们的灵性有多么成熟，仍是不完美的。然而，牧师有上帝赋予的既得权柄来管理地方教会。因此，我们可以成为地方教会的牧师的祝福，成为鼓励者，以各自的恩赐与才干为这教会的成长作出贡献。
讲章系列： 牧师
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