The Godly Pastor

I remember reading a sermon extract of the famous evangelist, Sam Jones, on the duties and perplexities of a new pastor. Jones commented, I once knew a pastor who, upon taking charge of his church, was met by a delegation of the deacons previous to delivering his inaugural sermon. They said, Now, brother, you mustn't preach about fashion, because our fashionable members will be out to hear you.

You mustn't preach about dram-drinking or liquor-selling, because several of our members, who are liquor-sellers, will be out to hear you. You mustn't preach about covetousness, because several of our millionaire members will be out to hear you. Well, what can I preach about? he asked in great perplexity.

About the Mormons, replied the good deacons. Give them blazes. There won't be a Mormon to hear you.

The perplexities of a pastor are many, friends, and he will face many dilemmas in the life of his pastorate. But a godly pastor who does not fear men, but who only fears God, will win out and make an impression upon his people that will linger like a sweet fragrance long after he's gone. Remember Vance Hafner saying, When I was a young country pastor, I kept hearing about a former shepherd of my flock, one Josiah Elliot, who preached there back in the horse-and-buggy days.

What a grip that man had on the hearts of the people. I became very anxious to know something of the source of his mighty influence. Other pastors of greater scholar and social attainments had followed him, but I heard most about Josiah Elliot.

One day, I went back on the creek where my former friend John Brown was plowing, and asked him where lay the secret of the old preacher's power. John reflected for a moment, then remarked simply, He just loved us so. I like that story, friends, because a godly pastor will leave a lingering fragrance of the love of Jesus behind him, for the people who have a godly pastor, or a blessed congregation.

For if the pastor is a man of God who spends most of his time in the word of God, and stays on his knees in the presence of God, then his sermons will be fountains of blessings that will flow from the heart of God. The church will be reflective of the pastor. If the church has a praying pastor, chances are, the members will be a praying people.

If the pastor is an evangelist, then the church will be focused on reaching the lost with the gospel. I remember years ago, preaching at a church where the pastor missed my message. He missed my message because, while I was preaching to his congregation in his pulpit, he stayed back in his study, and lay on the floor on his face in continual prayer the whole time I preached, and God was pleased to bless the meeting, not because of my preaching, but because of that praying pastor, and that praying pastor had a praying congregation as well.

Like I said, a congregation is blessed if they have a godly shepherd leading them. When I was in England, I visited the town and church where the Puritan Richard Baxter pastored. Baxter had a congregation of 700 households, and each year, he made it a point to personally visit each family and catechize them.

A godly shepherd will take the time to know the spiritual condition of his sheep. A godly pastor will be true to the souls of men and warn them of the great danger of dying outside of Christ, and he will educate his hearers about the dangers of dying in their sins and being sent to a devil's hell. He will inform men of their duty of repentance and their utter necessity of having the work of grace performed upon the heart by the Holy Spirit in regeneration.

A godly pastor will teach his congregation about the life of discipleship in following a crucified Savior, that one must take up his cross daily in a life of self-denial as one lives under the lordship of Jesus Christ, that Christ must be a complete master, and we must serve him with our whole heart. In Titus chapter 1, and in verses 6-9, we see the description of a godly shepherd. If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children, not accused of riot or unruly, for a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God, not self-willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

Yes, friends, the godly pastor will leave his mark upon his congregation long after he's gone, for their good and the glory of God, let us pray.