Don't be a Shallow Pastor

A pastor is serious about Colossians 1:28-29—“So we tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. That’s why I work and struggle so hard, depending on Christ’s mighty power that works within me.” On the one hand, Paul labored and struggled to present everyone mature in Jesus Christ. On the other hand, he did it in God’s providential care.

A pastor is serious about Christian growth of others because he is serious about the gospel. He doesn’t just pray. He doesn’t just evangelize. He doesn’t just worship. A good pastor is aware of the 3D ministry: upward (worship), outward (mission), and inward (discipleship).

Regarding the inward ministry, a pastor plans strategically to help Christians grow to be like Christ. No strategy; no growth. Soul work requires slow work. A pastor is serious about stages of Christian growth. He knows where Christians are at in the present and where they should be going in the future. God will powerfully work through pastoral endeavor.

No pastoral endeavor; no solid discipleship.

No solid discipleship; no deep worship.

No deep worship; no sound theology.

No sound theology; no passion for mission

When there is no deep understanding of who the triune God is, there is no deep understanding of His missionary nature toward the world. The triune God toward us is the foundation and source of the nature (being) and mission (doing) of the church.  The inward ministry of the church is to build up the church so that she can carry out the mission of the Son and the Spirit through the Father to the world. In this vein, the 3D ministry is intertwined as one knot. In fact, we can’t talk about one without mentioning the other.

A pastor is called to prepare deep people and present them to a deep God. The God of depth will then prompt deep people to participate in deep mission.

A pastor must not be shallow.