Consumerism has become a real issue in churches today. Because we live in a day and age where convenience is more valuable than personal development, many people grow up with a sense of entitlement expecting everything to be served on a silver platter. This consumerist mindset has no doubt invaded even churches today.
I once spoke with a pastor who was obviously burnt out. The poor man was exhausted from all the demands that his relatively small but high maintenance church had placed on him. He was preaching almost every day, visiting multiple homes regularly, doing pastoral services for funerals, dedications and birthday parties left and right. At the brink of quitting ministry, that pastor friend had asked for a sabbatical which was obviously what he needed most.
Because a lot of Christians today have this mindset that pastors are super Christians who are special in the eyes of God, we think that they should serve and serve and serve members of the church forgetting completely that they are human just like us. Yes, they are ordained, but they are not ordained to become spiritual vending machines who keep on feeding Christians of the church. What then is the role of our spiritual leaders?
Ephesians 4:11-12 says, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ." The main job of leaders is not to feed, but to teach us how to feed. Sure pastors must preach the word, counsel and give pastoral services, but more importantly their job is to teach us and get us ready to do the same.
The job of a pastor basically is to train up leaders - both vocational and volunteer - who will also be able to preach, teach, serve, worship lead, counsel and disciple. So who's job is it to feed us? Well it's both the pastor's job and ours.
Jude 20-21 says, "But you, beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life."
Our pastors can teach us God's Word, but more importantly they teach us to read His Word so we can study it ourselves throughout the week. Sure the pastors can coach us how to live life, handle finances and raise families, but ultimately the work of doing all that is up to us.
We need to get off the bleachers and start getting in the game. God calls not just leaders to go, but calls leaders - apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers - to train and equip the saints - that's us - to also become apostles, prophets, evangelists, shepherds and teachers. The kingdom of God is not about the chosen few that work, but about everyone chipping in and doing their part.
Are you the kind of believer that is readily available for equipping and training or do you often find yourselves in the bleachers waiting for leaders to spoon feed you? It's time we knew which one we should be.
