Friday, June 29, 2007
Matthew 3:4 John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt round his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey.
WHAT KIND OF PASTOR DO YOU WANT?
What if your pastor ate bugs? That would be strange. What if he still wore 70's fashion polyester coats? To some people's way of thinking, that might even be more strange.
John the Baptist didn't where polyester, but he did eat locusts. How strange that was, I'm not sure. But certainly John presented himself in a way that showed he wasn't interested in gaining personal popularity and prestige. He wasn't a man who changed his message to suit the times, or who aimed to make his listeners feel comfortable about themselves.
What kind of pastor do you want? Pastors come in all shapes and sizes. Some are short. Some are bald. Some are both. Some of them like to wear baseball caps even when dressed in a suit and tie. Some of them are a little round at the middle. Some have bushy eyebrows. Many of them couldn't match a tie with their shirt and pants to save their lives. Some of them may even be shy and awkward.
What kind of pastor do you want? Thank God if you have a pastor like John the Baptist, a pastor who is committed to preaching nothing but the Word, whether in style or not. You may not always like to hear what such a pastor has to say. When his message hits your heart, convicting you of sin, it may make you feel uncomfortable. When his preaching exposes false teachers, you may wish he wouldn't be so direct. ("What if there are visitors in church who get angry and won't come back after hearing such preaching?")
But if your pastor preaches the Bible, and nothing but the Bible, thank God! He's a man who will be tough on sin and false teaching, but who will also lead you Sunday after Sunday to the foot of Jesus' cross. He will strive to lay on your heart that sweet news of full and free forgiveness in the world's one and only Savior. In short, his preaching will be what God is looking for: preaching that prepares the sinner for paradise.
Your pastor isn't perfect. He's a sinner just like you. He may need to work on being more tactful. The rough edges of his personality may need to be smoothed over. He would probably be the first to say that he needs to hone his preaching and teaching skills. But if he is a preacher fashioned by God in the mold of John the Baptist, a preacher of Law and Gospel, thank God for sending you such a man. Please, also pray for him. Now more than ever, faithful pastors need the prayers of God's people.
