EP 30: Are You Sure “Pastor” Is Your True Calling?

You're a leader in God's Church. What exactly does that mean?  In Ephesians 4: 11-12, Paul told us that Christ gave apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers to His Church. Their responsibility is to equip God’s people. By definition, a leader trains disciples with their gift.   If you cut me open, you would not find a pastor, functionally speaking. Teaching forms the foundation of my calling. I teach spiritual truth to whoever is willing to listen. If you are around me for any length of time, you will gain understanding in ways you have not thought about before.  I am not a fountain of knowledge. This does not occur because I am talented, brilliant or insightful. Christ installed a teaching gift for me to benefit other people. Teaching is a gift, not an ability. God has given this gift to thousands to advance His kingdom purposes. My mission is to be sure that when I stand before God, I have used this gift the way Christ intended. The way I equip people is to impart spiritual truth.  Jesus gave four other gifts to fulfill his main objective which is to mature the church. Which one most closely matches your passion and mission in life? We discuss these at length during the podcast.  Most of the pastors I know are not gifted as pastors. They do pastoral work but in their hearts, God wired them differently. Are you doing the ministry God asked you to do? In churches throughout the world, the paid position for a leader comes with the title, pastor. If God wired you differently, you will never be satisfied until you function in your gift properly. Every leader loves the body of Christ and wants to serve God if they are truly called. You are not supposed to be the pastor, evangelist, teacher, apostle, or prophet of your church, any more than you are called to be the administrator, church bus driver or children’s church director. Are you spending the majority of your time doing the things that you are gifted to do?