The Danger of Being a Minister
Introduction
It is good to see a congregation respect and even honor their pastor. When done properly, it strengthens him and benefits the church family. But many times, the congregation does not deal with its pastor correctly, nor the pastor his congregation. This is not only true of pastors, but of any minister-audience situation.
The relationship between the two is important in fulfilling the Scripture:
We are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (Eph 4:15b, 16 ESV).
Paul was saying that in Jesus Christ we are to mature into a strong family of God, spiritually equipped and walking in godly love. You and I, being dependent upon Christ, are to grow together and strengthen one another. And ministers are a key tool in that process. Paul wrote this:
And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. (Eph. 4:11—14 ESV).
Ministers are important in assisting you and your Christian brethren in growing into spiritual maturity, wisdom, and godly love.
Misguided Treatment of Ministers
There are two ways that a congregation treats their pastor that are out of balance and destructive. The manner of treatment differs, but the end result is the same spiritually; the growth of the church family is hindered.
Abuse of the Minister
One of the common errors of a church family toward its pastor is abusive treatment. This comes in many ways. I remember a testimony about one pastor regarding a sister in his congregation. Every week the pastor would pour out his heart to the congregation. He would faithfully minister the truths of God’s Word to those of whom he was responsible. He was a man who wanted to please the Lord in his shepherding of the people. But each week without fail, as the congregants were leaving and shaking the hand of the pastor, one particular sister would point out some fault about his message. It was a real weight, and he did not look forward to her presence in the line after the church service.
One day, she shook his hand and made wonderful comments about his sermon. He was delighted that she made no negative remarks at all. But then she dropped the bomb: “But that tie is just too long.” He replied, “Do you have a pair of scissors?” She responded, “It just so happens that I do. Here you are.” Then he retorted, “Now, stick out your tongue. I need to shorten it.”
I have also heard horror stories of more than one congregation in which politics ruled. One or more deacons, or one or more families, had taken political control of the church and exerted pressure to force their will on the pastor. In fact, some pastors are intimidated into pleasing the crowd because of such demeaning treatment of one of more key individuals in the congregation. And money becomes an issue. Because it takes money to operate the church, there comes an implied threat of withholding of funds, or of families leaving the church and taking their money with them, if the pastor does not comply with the political pressures being thrown at him.
Evangelists also suffer from pressures that can force them into a mode of presentation that is limited or defensive. For example, when an evangelist ministers at a local church, his messages are generally limited to the requirements of the leadership. He or she may be limited to preaching only certain topics such as faith or deliverance or prosperity. This pressure can hold true in media ministry as well. The evangelist may feel the need to work at keeping his partnership base and decide to preach a “good sell”, instead of what the Spirit of God wants him to present, in order to keep the funds coming in. And quite often, evangelists are vulnerable to verbal attack. If the evangelist is not fully committed to the truth at all cost, critical letters and hate mail can affect what and how he preaches.
Exaltation of the Minister
The other common error in a church family or with an evangelistic partnership is exaltation of the minister. I have witnessed and heard testimony of a number of ministers who have been lifted up far beyond what is reasonable. There is an almost worship-like adoration of the minister. It can happen to any vulnerable minister, though it seems to occur more with certain evangelists that exude charisma and charm. These supporters usually have a strong, one-sided emotional opinion of the minister that is generally blind to his or her humanity. It is as though the individual can do no wrong.
This type of pressure also works against the Spirit of God to use the minister effectively. Again, he may feel forced to focus only on those topics that he thinks the people want to hear. However, this kind of abusive treatment can pander to his flesh. He may become proud; believing the hype that he can do no wrong or that somehow life owes him. The end result can be a personal sense of intrinsic greatness. Following that path will lead him to become carnal; no longer sensitive to the Spirit of God.
Misguided Treatment of Congregants
In both situations, whether abuse or exaltation of the minister, there is a consequence that is unhealthy for the church family or partnership and for the minister. In order to please the audience, the minister will focus on his form and style and often neglect the content; all for the sake of being liked by the audience. “After all,” the reasoning goes, “you have to reach the people”; which for them really means “I want the audience to like me.”
But regardless of treatment by the congregants or partnership, the minister must beware of his own sinful nature. Being in a position over people can breed wrong and destructive attitudes. Often what develops is self-centered pride. It is the fundamental killer of a spiritual life. It is also the starting point down the path of self-exaltation and destruction of a healthy spiritual relationship between the minister and the congregation. And personal insecurities can intensify the pride and breed jealousy toward others who are deemed a threat. An insecurity-driven pride becomes a kind of straight-jacket to a person’s ability to make wise and healthy decisions. A minister strapped in that mindset is a slave to his circumstances and a potential hazard to the prospering of his ministry. The minister may desire to be completely independent of others. Accountability may fall by the wayside. He will most-likely become more lax and self-indulgent. He may make some very serious mistakes that hurt both him and his supporters. In extreme cases, the minister may become more cult-like in his leadership.
The Minister’s Archenemy
Generally, the sinful nature is the minister’s archenemy. Whether pride, greed, lust, insecurity, etc., anyone who goes into ministry must have a stronger disciple of controlling the flesh than the congregation. There is a need to be an example to those souls he is to shepherd.
There is also a greater judgment of a minister’s soul. James wrote, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness” (Jam. 3:1 ESV). And Jesus solemnly gave this figurative warning:
Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time? Blessed is that servant whom his master will find so doing when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions. But if that wicked servant says to himself, 'My master is delayed,' and begins to beat his fellow servants and eats and drinks with drunkards, the master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he does not know and will cut him in pieces and put him with the hypocrites. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. (Matt. 24:45—51 ESV)
A minister is to be found faithful in his work. God will reward him for doing so. But the unfaithful minister will be judged. And that judgment will be harsh. This parable by Jesus, which deals with extreme cases, was referring to judgment in Hell.
The Minister’s Strength
The solution of course is (1) a very real dependency on the Holy Spirit and (2) a disciplined life in practicing the spiritual principles of God’s Word. Speaking to his disciples, Jesus said, “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth” (John 16:13 ESV). So you must listen to and follow the Holy Spirit. Also, you must do as Paul wrote:
Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Rom. 12:1b, 2 ESV).
This two-fold requirement is the same for every believer, but more so for the minister because he is elevated in front of others. The minister must be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and submitted to living out the truths of God in his daily life. A minister must remember that the greater the elevation, the greater the requirement to be spiritually disciplined and dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Honoring the Minister
It is good for a congregation to respect and honor their pastor. Paul wrote the following:
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, "You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain," and, "The laborer deserves his wages." (1 Tim. 5:17, 18 ESV)
But it is not good for a minister to take that honor for himself. The apostle John wrote regarding a minister who had gone bad:
Diotrephes, who likes to put himself first, does not acknowledge our authority. So if I come, I will bring up what he is doing, talking wicked nonsense against us. And not content with that, he refuses to welcome the brothers, and also stops those who want to and puts them out of the church. Beloved, do not imitate evil but imitate good. Whoever does good is from God; whoever does evil has not seen God. (3 John 1:9—11 ESV)
So giving appropriate honor to a minister is good. But for a minister to be self-seeking of honor is evil.
Conclusion
Paul wrote, “The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Tim. 3:1 ESV). It is a good thing indeed to desire to be elevated in the family of God for the purpose of ministering to others. It is an honorable work. But the danger is one of abandoning the mindset of being a servant and becoming self-seeking, self-centered, and indulgent in self-exaltation or aggrandizement. Other areas of the sinful nature can pull on the heart as well, dragging an elevated individual into sinful and destructive behavior. It is a very real danger for a minister.
So I must remain humble and accountable, and focus on the things of the Spirit. It may irritate my flesh, but it is the countermeasure against my sinful nature that helps the ministry and church family to prosper and grow. In the end, being dependent on the Holy Spirit and maintaining that spiritual discipline will see a great reward for being faithful.
Pat Reynolds
Wayne Parks Ministries