What do you look for in a pastor? Do you look for well-polished speech? Do you look for a "professional" look? Do you look for an administrator? Do you look for someone who is nice?
Jesus wants his pastors to be many things, but above all of these things, he wants his pastors to be broken. Does that sound strange to you? Jesus wants pastors that have been broken, confronted with their sin, and brought to the foot of the cross of Christ. When a pastor (or one who desires to be a pastor) is humbled before Christ and knows that his entire ministry relies on the strength of the Lord Jesus Christ, he is in a position to lead. Shepherds are sheep who have been broken, restored, and equipped as Gospel ministers.
"The first and essential quality of herald of the Gospel is ever a thoroughly broken and contrite heart. For it is only after having obtained mercy as guilty criminals, that we are in a position to strengthen the brethren. After having ourselves vitally experienced that without Christ we can do nothing, but everything with Him, we then become real evangelists, able also to bind up the broken-hearted, and to strengthen the feeble knees." FW Krummacher
No comments:
Post a Comment