If I Become your Pastor… We will follow Jesus

By Rick Blumenberg / @rickblumenberg

Recently I preached to the congregation I serve as Interim Pastor about how things will go if I become their permanent pastor. That was only a possibility, but if they considered this I wanted them to know what they are getting into. I thought perhaps what I have to say would be helpful to my blog readers, so my theme for today is “If I become your pastor….we will follow Jesus.

My point is that a pastor is always an “under-shepherd” rather than the primary shepherd. Jesus is the head of the church. Any organization that does not have Jesus as the primary leader may be a good and beneficial organization, but it is not the church. My task, and I believe the task of every pastor, is to help our congregations learn better how to follow Jesus.

It is really a simple and clear guideline, but the implications are earth-shaking. Living out that goal is the most difficult and most satisfying task of our lives. As long as we try to do it pastor and church will be in a learning mode. We’ll never learn it all. God always has new and beautiful things to teach us and sometimes painful lessons to learn and difficult applications we must carry out. I could write a book on the subject if I was smart enough, but for today, it will be a simple blog post.

Here are my basic points as I completed the thought.

We, as a church, will do everything God tells us to do (John 3:33-35)

We never ask can we do/afford this. We only ask…“What is God’s will in this situation?” After we ask, we pray. Individually, corporately, we pray, and continue to ask, “God, what is your will in this situation? After we pray, we vote and the majority rules. It’s not a perfect system. In almost every church some who vote never pray or seek God’s direction and because we’re human sometimes even when we seek God’s will we fail to understand or follow. Not perfect, but the best way I know.

We lead our personal lives with Jesus Christ as Lord

No saint on Sunday, Sinner on Monday-Saturday business—every day is God’s day. All of life belongs to him and everything we own belongs to God. We are mere stewards. What is most important to God must become most important to us. Our goal is that “God’s will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” Just as fully, unhesitatingly, joyfully, as it’s done in heaven. Not just in the church, but also in our personal lives! Now we are human and sometimes we will fail. When we do, thankfully, God forgives.

We tithe our income to God (See Malachi 3:6-12)

We stop robbing God and begin to really trust. If we don’t love and trust God with our finances, we don’t really love and/or trust him. Our church doesn’t have enough income to survive. We’re dying financially! One reason we’re dying is because we’re robbing God. If I become your pastor, we must begin to tithe our income. It’s important to note, this scripture is for all; individuals, families, churches.

You’re not going to believe this, but after I preached this sermon the church voted unanimously for me to become their pastor instead of merely an interim. This may be the only place in scripture where God says “test me in this”. He goes on to say, thru the prophet Malachi, “see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it.” (v. 10)

This tiny congregation doesn’t have enough income for the minimum bills necessary to keep the doors open. It doesn’t make sense to give away ten percent when we are in such bad shape…unless God is real and alive and at work in our world today. If that is true (and I know it is) we can trust him.

I’m Rick Blumenberg and that’s My View from Tanner Creek.

    

When it is God’s Will for us to Suffer

Sometimes it is God’s will for us to suffer. I know we don’t like to hear that, but it is  true.

Peter wrote (I Peter 4:19) "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." I believe this makes it clear that it is sometimes God's will for us to suffer. Does this mean God is a sadistic God who enjoys seeing his creation suffer? Not at all, but in the same way that we sometimes need to suffer in order to accomplish something in life there are times when God knows his will cannot be done except through suffering. The question is who will do the suffering?

I think Peter was saying if that is what God wants from us, then we should be willing to do it. It doesn't mean, however, that God asks us to suffer gratuitously, or for no reason, just for some sadistic satisfaction. When God asks us to suffer, be sure he has a reason and his grace is sufficient for us to be victorious. The gift of grace is a small price for the suffering and who knows, the accomplishments of our sufferings may eventually become the greatest joy of our lives.

Some time ago I met a gentleman who was a recent convert to Christ. He said the thing that brought him to Christ was observing a co-worker who was going through a very difficult time in life. She had such a beautiful attitude and showed such amazing grace in the midst of such a horrendous time that he finally had to ask, “How do you do it?”

She told him it was Jesus—that his grace gave her the strength she needed, not only to go through the suffering, but to do her best to be like Jesus in her attitude. It took a while for him to believe on his own, but he said there was no doubt that the way she dealt with her suffering was what brought him to Christ.

If God had something he needed you to do in order to accomplish something good for his kingdom would you be willing to do it? If so, then you are suffering according to God’s will.

If an unbeliever causes persons to suffer because they are Christians, that is probably not God’s will, but it is God’s will for us to suffer in a Christ-like way. Such suffering will provide evidence the Holy Spirit can use to touch the heart of the unbeliever and perhaps bring him or her to a personal relationship with Christ.

Remember also that Jesus said, “I have told you these things so that you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33^(NIV)) I believe Jesus was saying we will sometimes have to suffer. However, he was assuring us we will never suffer alone as long as we trust in him. He is with us. And we will overcome through the marvelous power of the indwelling Christ.

Jesus is a perfect example—if he had not been willing to suffer for us we would not have salvation. It was God's will for Jesus to suffer in order that the world might be saved. Jesus was willing to suffer—leaving the wonders of heaven and the glorious presence of God, the Father, and coming to a primitive, poverty stricken earth in order to bring us salvation and the awesome privilege of living every moment of our lives with the living Christ indwelling us so that wherever we go and whatever we do, his wonderful presence can be revealed by his Holy Spirit living in us.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.