The highest calling known to man is not to be a king or a president, it is to be a pastor. The man of God who leads a local church in the work of the Kingdom has the high call of God upon His life. It is a work that must not be taken lightly. It is a serious business. It is a good work.

                The term ‘bishop’ means overseer. It is one of several terms describing the office of pastor. A pastor is not only the bishop but also the ‘elder.’ He is to be spiritually mature and a great teacher/preacher of the Bible. He is also ‘pastor.’ He is the shepherd of the flock. As shepherd he is to protect the flock, lead the flock, discipline the flock, feed the flock, and care for the flock. Indeed, the work of the pastor is very heavy, yet it is a good work.

                In our study of this good work, we will consider the call of the pastor, the desire of the pastor, and the church’s responsibility to the pastor.

                The Call of the Pastor. It is important to note that one cannot serve in the office of pastor apart from a unique and special calling. Some speak of the call to preach. However, there are many that can preach but are not called to pastor. Being a pastor comes with a special calling. Yes, the pastor must have the spiritual gift of preaching and teaching, but the responsibility and role of a pastor is far more than just preaching.

                There are several things we need to understand concerning the call of the pastor. First of all, he must be called of God. Being a pastor is not something that just any man can do. Being a pastor is a God-called office of the church. God puts within certain men whom He calls, a desire for such a work. The Spirit of God will be heavy upon the man whom God is calling. When I have conversations with young men who feel God may be calling them, I often give them the same advice that was given to me. “Get out of it if you can.” If you can do anything else and be satisfied, then being a pastor is not for you. If God is calling, you will know it and you will not be able to escape it. How do we know if a man is called to be a pastor? There are several things that provide evidence of God’s call. Evident by spiritual maturity. If God is calling a man to the office of pastor, that man will be one who has proven a high level of spiritual maturity. He is one who has mastered the art of spending time with God every day. It is one who is very knowledgeable of the scriptures and has the ability to interpret the scriptures accurately using appropriate interpretation methods. He is also one who is spiritually mature in his behavior. His life will be a demonstration of his personal spiritual growth and closeness with the Lord. Evident by faithfulness. A man who is called to the office of pastor will display an unwavering faithfulness to the things of God. He is faithful in his personal walk with God. He is faithful in his involvement in the church. He is faithful in his witness. He has proven his faithfulness through the trials and experiences of life. I was called to the ministry at the age of 18. While in Bible college, I served as a youth pastor in a rural church in North Carolina. Not long after serving in that church, the pastor moved on to another church. I was then given the responsibility of filling the pulpit. I loved to preach, and I loved the church. When I was asked to serve as their pastor at the young age of 21, I anxiously accepted. God did some great things in the few years I served as their pastor. Sunday School attendance nearly doubled. The church was full every Sunday. We even hired a new youth pastor who was more than 10 years older than I. As the church grew, I was faced with various issues as the church dealt with growing pains. Couples in the church needed a pastor to counsel them in their marriages, parents needed guidance in raising their children; yet their pastor was very young. Due to my lack of life experiences, I realized I was not ready to be a senior pastor. I needed time to prove myself. I need time to prove my faithfulness through difficult life issues. Therefore, in wisdom, I left that church to serve under another seasoned pastor as his associate pastor.  I am not saying that a young man cannot be a pastor. However, it is imperative that the man who is in the office of pastor is one that has a proven track record of faithfulness even in the midst of life’s difficulties. Evident by Spiritual Gifts. If God is calling a man to serve as a pastor, he will possess certain spiritual gifts that are pertinent to that role. Those spiritual gifts include but not limited to: preaching/teaching, leading, administration, pastoring/shepherding, etc. Those spiritual gifts become evident as the man is faithfully involved in the ministry of the church. Evident by qualifications. A man is not called of God to serve as a pastor unless he meets the Biblical qualifications of pastor as described in 1 Timothy 2. An exhaustive study and examination of the life of the man should be considered to determine God’s call. If a man is called of God to be a pastor, it will be evident. It will be evident not only to the man who God is calling but also to those around him.

                Secondly, the call of the pastor is not only called of God but also confirmed by others. God does not call a man to serve as a pastor without also making it clearly evident to those he has relationships with. Confirmed by family. When I was first called to the ministry of being a pastor, I was young and unmarried. Therefore, at the time I did not have a wife to confirm God’s call in me. However, I did have parents that also served in the ministry and a church family and friends that saw God’s call in me. I do not believe that God calls men to the pastorate without his family being on board. Men, if you are married and your wife is not supportive of you being a pastor, then God has not called you. If God has called you, He will work in the heart of your wife, and she will be on board with whatever God is leading you to do. God’s call is confirmed by those in your family. Confirmed by other pastors. If God has called a man to the office of pastor, other pastors will see it in him. Experienced pastors know what it is like to be called of God and they are able to discern God’s call in others. Confirmed by the church. This is where an official ordination comes in. When a man answers the call and it is confirmed by his family and other pastors, it then should be confirmed by the church with a proper ordination and commissioning. This is often the final step in confirming God’s call on a man’s life.

                The office of pastor is not for anyone. It is a special office that comes with the highest calling known to man, the call of God. This call is evident in the life of the man God is calling and is confirmed by the man’s family, other pastors, and the church.

                The Desire (heart) of the pastor. Paul told Timothy that if any man ‘desire’ the office of a pastor, he desires a good work. God puts within the man He calls certain overwhelming desires of which the man cannot escape. There are many desires that God gives the man whom He calls. We will look at four of those desires. First, the pastor will have a desire to preach. A man that does not enjoy preaching is not called to be a pastor. A man that does not take preaching seriously is not called to be a pastor. A man that does not want to preach is not called to be a pastor. A man that is God of called to be a pastor will have an overwhelming desire to preach. In Jeremiah 20:9 we read how Jeremiah was tired of being rejected by men and he claimed that he would stop speaking for the Lord. However, Jeremiah said that the Word of God was like a fire shut up in his bones, and he could not stop preaching the Word. This fire is known to the man whom God calls. No matter how the man feels or what is going on around him, when it’s time to preach, he is ready. He enjoys preaching. Preaching is a privilege to the man whom God calls.

                God also gives the pastor a desire to see people saved. A man that does not have a desire to see people saved is not called of God to be a pastor. A pastor preaches for that purpose. In all that he does in equipping the saints is all for the purpose that more people would come to know Christ as their Savior. A pastor will lead the church to put themselves in the best position to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel.

                Another desire that God gives the man He calls is a desire to help believers be discipled and equipped. A pastor is not only a preacher of the Gospel, but also a teacher. He is to help others grow in their faith. Ephesians 4:11-12 makes it clear that the pastor is to equip and train others for the work of the ministry. A pastor is to be a good mentor. He enjoys teaching others and developing leaders. One of my favorite things to do as a pastor is to develop leaders over time and then send them out to do the work. This a desire that God puts in the heart of the man He calls.

                Finally, a desire to lead the church to be missional. The church has a responsibility to fulfill the great commission. It is the heart and desire of the pastor to lead the church to be a missional church. A pastor should strive to develop missional families that strengthens a missional church. A church should be known in its community for the love they have for people. The church should be engaged in the community and actively present. The church should take every opportunity given to them to bring the Gospel to the community around them. The church should engage in the expansion God’s Kingdom around the world by engaging in world-wide missions. This is something the pastor must lead in. This is something that must be in the heart of every pastor.

                The ‘good work’ of the bishop or pastor is one that is called of God and filled with certain God-given desires. We should be thankful for the pastors that God has given. The men whom God calls must also take their calling seriously for it is indeed the highest calling known to man.

                The church’s responsibility to the pastor. A study of the office of pastor would not be complete without consideration of the church’s responsibility to the pastor. There are three basic responsibilities we should consider. First, pray for the pastor. At the beginning of Paul’s instruction to Timothy concerning the conduct of life in the church he mentions how we are to pray for those in authority. 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 speaks to how we are to respect the man whom God places in the office of pastor. That respect implies that we also pray for the pastor. We should pray that He would be nurtured spiritually, that he would grow in his knowledge of the Word, that his needs are met, that he would be used of God to reach many with the Gospel, that he would get proper rest, etc. It is imperative that we pray for our pastor for in doing so it will be well for us.

                The church should also support the pastor. 1 Timohty 5:17-18 has to do with supporting the pastor financially. It is the church’s responsibility to make sure the pastor is able to support his family. He should be paid well enough so that he does not have financial strain or stress that hinders him from fulfilling his responsibilities.

                Finally, the church should follow the pastor. Hebrews 13:17 instructs us to obey the leaders of the church, namely, the pastor. The church should follow the leading of the pastor as he seeks to follow the Lord. The pastor through prayer and study of the Word formulates a God-given vision for the church. He sees the whole picture. Sometimes he sees what we cannot see. The pastor may lead the church in a certain direction because he is not just focused on today, he is looking at what is best for the church years down the road. Therefore, it serves the church well when they follow the leading of their pastor. The only time the church should not follow the pastor is if he does something or preaches something that is unbiblical. If this happens, the church should take disciplinary actions. However, if a pastor has proven himself as faithful in the following the scriptures, then the church should not hesitate to follow his leading. I have heard people pray that God will bless the pastor as he leads. However, leading implies that there are followers. The church must follow the leading of their pastor.

                “He who desires the office of bishop, desires a good work.” The work of a pastor is a good work. It is a God-called office with the desire of God placed into the heart of the man that is called. A church is blessed when they pray for, support, and follow a pastor that does a good work.