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7 Priorities For The Pastor

Posted by growinggodlygenerations on

In 2 Timothy 4:1-5, Paul provides several priorities for pastors. The list is not exhaustive but are a helpful starting point for pastors to pattern their life and ministry, and for churches to evaluate for the life of their church and leaders. 

2 Timothy 4:1-5
1  I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:
2  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.
3  For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions,
4  and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
5  As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

Here are seven priorities for the pastor with questions to help your reflection of each. shepherd 1

  1. Preach the word: Is the pastor’s reading and study of the word evident from his preaching? (Acts 2:37)
  2. Be ready in every season: Is the pastor attentive to matters within his personal and spiritual life, and his family dynamics? (1 Timothy 3:1-7; 4:16)
  3. Reprove/Rebuke/Exhort with patience and teaching: Does the pastor smell like sheep, spending time to know the hearts and hopes of people, and how to nurture their faith? (1Peter 5:2-4)
  4. Be sober-minded: Is the pastor disciplined physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually to avoid earthly idols? (1Corinthians 9:24-27)
  5. Endure suffering: Does the pastor deal with challenges and conflict with meekness or meanness? (2Corinthians 4:11)
  6. Do the work of an evangelist: Is the pastor bearing fruit resulting in new believers entering God’s kingdom? (Acts 17:16-23)
  7. Fulfill your ministry: In examining the pastor, what is the legacy being left for others and generations to follow? Are others in the church equipped to meet ministry needs and seeing multi-generational disciple-making? (Psalm 78:72; Ephesians 4:12-16; 2 Timothy 2:1-2)

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