29 Apr Successful Shepherding by Allen Hickman
Many pastors have lost their way. They’re aiming at the wrong goal. They’re misinformed on who and what they are. That’s why we’re seeing so many pastors fall.
I know that sounds harsh. But I think that pastors need to wake up and realize who we are, what we are, and what God expects from us. I think we need to understand what a privilege it is to be called a pastor. Churches can’t change or make an impact in their communities until their pastors change. They can only go as far as their leader goes, and that’s why I am writing to you today.
When we as pastors forget that the people we serve are the Lord’s people, the church is the Lord’s house, and the vision is the Lord’s vision, we begin to derail. None of this is mine. I do not get to do things my way. I have to do it the Lord’s way.
Remember: Without the Holy Spirit, nothing we produce is going to last.
A pastor cannot simply know about God; he must know God. He must be a theologian. Most pastors I meet study their Bibles for sermon prep. They don’t study to know God personally. When I have studied with the intention of developing my relationship with God, I have found the Holy Spirit. He keeps me on the rails. He keeps me tracking with Him.
Consider this: In the New Testament, it says that people knew the disciples had been with Jesus by the way they lived and the way they spoke. I would love to see this become a reality with pastors today.
A pastor must be a father figure to his congregation. When you’re a father, you care for the success of your kids. You celebrate their successes. Sadly, many pastors celebrate their own success and not their people’s.
With my boys, I made them run the extra mile. I made them do right. Why? Because I cared about their success. I spoke with a loving heart when I affirmed or corrected them. A pastor cannot do that if they do not first have the heart of a father for their people. If that pastor does not have the heart and then tries to challenge or correct his people, it will turn them off and make them angry. It’s a father’s love that convinces his children to lean into what he says, rather than pull away.
I would love to see pastors catch that concept and know their heavenly Father’s heart toward them. When they do, that power will rest upon them to love in the same way.
Small groups are a great way to pass onto your leaders and then onto your congregation the fatherly love God gives you for His flock. It’s hard to do on a Sunday morning. The congregation can hear your heart, but that’s not the time that they make deep connections. And we all need people in life who are going in the same direction. Small groups allow for connections to be made so that when we’re in a fog, someone can speak that fatherly voice into our lives.
A pastor must be a coach to his congregation. Here’s my definition of a coach: A coach will push you farther than you want to go. A coach will not let you settle with poor effort. He sees the potential in you and is determined to pull it out. He won’t let you settle for mediocrity.
Whatever you’re going to do, do it as unto the Lord wholeheartedly, and don’t settle.
Our homes are broken, and I think it starts with the pastor acting like a coach and saying, “There’s better for you than this. If you make changes, it’s going to be worth it. I’m not going to let you settle with no effort.”
I’m coaching 11- and 12-year-olds right now. I’m approaching my 30th year of coaching football and Little League baseball. Pray for me. Anyway, my team knows that the only time I’m going to holler is when they don’t put forth effort. They can make mistakes, and I understand that they will, but they have to do it at full speed. Imagine if pastors everywhere were coaching their churches, “Don’t settle for just existing! You were made for abundant life! You’re overcomers!”
A pastor must be secure in the message he’s been called to deliver. I think people have gotten so insecure that they don’t want anyone saying anything to them that will disrupt their way of doing things. They don’t want feedback. In fact, I’ve had pastors say to me, “I can’t preach that because I’ll make someone mad.” Listen, there is a time to affirm. I praise my kids 90% of the time, but 10% of the time, if you’re a ding-dong, I’m calling it out. The Bible is clear that we’re to help people. It’s not condemning, but it is telling people that they’re making bad choices. Like I said earlier, if they know you speak the Word of God and have the loving heart of a father for them, they’re far more likely to take your coaching and rethink their behavior.
The Bible never promises us unending comfort. God’s Word is constantly drawing me into places I’m uncomfortable, but it serves a purpose of growth in me, carrying over to my leaders and my congregation. And if they will receive it, it will continue down into their families and the lives of their children.
A pastor must become an accountant. I don’t mean an accountant of finances. I mean that they need to take account of what’s right. When I travel to churches, it’s amazing to see the few that are doing it right. There’s a spirit of excellence at work in them. You can tell by the way they do things that everything they do is strategized and done reverentially, excellently, and to bring honor to God.
Two thoughts come to my mind about this:
- I’m going to be judged by what God has given me, not by what I lack but by what I have. And I need to do all things with excellence, to the best of my ability, not comparing myself to others but just in a way that I am confident I’ve given it my all.
- I need to take responsibility for what God has given me and how I use it. Whatever it is—time, money, my people, my church, my city—I need to acknowledge that God gave them to me. He led me here. And I need to assess, as an accountant, if we as a church are reaching our goals, if we’re doing well, and if what we’re doing is being done with excellence.
You know, Pastor, I prayed for months, desiring to know the definition of a pastor because it’s only mentioned once in Scripture. Finally, the Lord spoke to me and said, “A pastor is to see his people’s success.” That’s the definition I live by. Everything I do now is to develop a success that is not defined by the world. It’s that my congregation is developing as a loving, joyful, peaceful, and purposeful in all things group of individuals. My job is to bring the Kingdom to my church in a tangible way. That means I have to model this maturity in front of them. If I don’t have love, joy, peace, and purpose, then the people will not be successful here. If I am not successful at home, then I am not successful anywhere, and my people cannot be successful either.
As I wrap up here, I want to warn you not to develop wanderlust. So many pastors have it today. They’re looking for the latest and greatest. They’re going online searching for it, posting for more likes and conference speaking opportunities. I may get pushback from this, but you, Pastor, are not called to the whole world. There was only one who was called to the whole world, and that was Jesus Christ. You ain’t Him. God has given you a section of the world, and that’s the world you’re called to. I call it “the land of your anointing.” It’s really important that you realize you’re not going to be judged by how well you speak at a conference; you’re going to be judged for the condition of your flock. So keep your attention on the people God has placed in your care and what it takes to shepherd them to success in the things that matter. That is the more worthy pursuit of your time and energy.
You will never be more anointed than in “the land of your anointing.” God sent you there to pour out and change the people, the community. It will be easy when people see that you have peace and joy and love. So do the best you can where God placed you and with what He equipped you with, and trust Him to build His church.
This blog was created using content from the webinar Defining the Church and Who We Are To Be To the World.