An essay submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the course M-MN 5430 Introduction to Pastoral Ministry at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.
Introduction
Over the past eight weeks of this course, many objectives for the fundamentals of pastoral ministry were covered and discussed. This essay provides my Great Commission perspective on the pastoral skills of evangelism, equipping disciples, preaching and teaching, corporate worship, and leadership. Each one of these skills is important in pastoral ministry as a pastor tends to his flock.
A pastor is the church leader “responsible for the theological vision, ministerial training, and spiritual discipleship of the congregation.”[1] This definition of a pastor is grounded in Scripture and the examples Christ Jesus and the apostles provided. Scripture also provides qualifications for pastors/elders and deacons in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9, and 1 Peter 5:1-3. However, leadership is not listed as a qualification by itself. As with all disciples, pastors are charged to make disciples from all nations and teach them all things Jesus has commanded (Matt 28:19-20).
Evangelism
Evangelism is a necessary goal of every ministry. This section will define evangelism and explain why we must evangelize, how we evangelize, and who we evangelize. A beginning definition is needed so we all start from the same mindset to bring glory to God. We can fulfill our calling by being united in the Spirit, a bond that connects us all in our evangelism mission. The why, how, and who will clarify our evangelism mission. Again, this will unite us in our efforts for God’s glory.
It is better to explain what evangelism is not before offering a usable definition. This will help wash away some gray areas upfront. Evangelism is not simply being a good person or acting nice. Granted, these are great godly traits to have and demonstrate, but they are not evangelism on their own. Evangelism is not “spiritual mugging.”[2] This means not verbally attacking someone because you feel they are a sinner or standing on a corner with a bullhorn denouncing passersby.
Jesus, after His resurrection, told His apostles, “[Y]ou will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses…to the end of the earth” (Acts 1:8).[3] So, Jesus tells us that, by the Holy Spirit, we will bear witness about Him to everyone. What does it mean to witness? It means sharing what you have personally seen or experienced—giving a testimony—about your salvation experience with others, and those others are the unsaved. Therefore, evangelism is believers going into the world bearing witness—sharing our testimony—about the good news of Christ Jesus, our Savior, to the unsaved. The good news is that they can be saved if they truly believe Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and rose from the dead three days later, according to Scripture (1 Cor 15:2-4).
The simple answer to the why question is because Jesus told us to be his witness. But why were we told to be His witness? We are to evangelize to make disciples of all nations (Matt 28:19). A disciple is a saved person who follows Jesus, which logically makes us disciples going to make disciples. This is demonstrated in Matt 4:19, where Jesus said, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Consequently, we are to fish for men—make disciples—if we are followers—disciples—of Jesus. Moreover, Paul instructs Timothy to pray for all people because God “desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of truth” (1 Tim 2:4).
The “who” was naturally unveiled by exploring why we should evangelize. We are to evangelize to the world, all nations, and everyone who is not a disciple. So, how do we evangelize? First, it must be done with emotional intelligence: care, compassion, and love.[4] Being pushy or overaggressive will do more harm than good and will not glorify God. Paul is an example of a person who speaks freely, but with an open heart to the Corinthians (2 Cor 6:11). Second, we must actively encounter and speak to them. Romans 10 explains that they cannot believe in Jesus without hearing the good news about Christ Jesus. So, we encounter others with emotional intelligence in a loving manner and speak the truth to them.
Equipping Disciples
Equipping the disciples means getting to know the sheep up close and personal—spending time with them inside the pen if you will. We do this by teaching sound doctrine (Titus 2:1). It is a necessary task because we are told not to “present [our] members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present [ourselves] to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and [our] members to God as instruments for righteousness” (Rom 6:13). We are to leave our old sinful selves to become more Christ-like. By God’s grace, we have the gospel to do the heavy lifting for us as we train to present ourselves to God. God’s grace trains us to renounce unrighteousness and to live righteously (Titus 2:11-12). We are trained by the supernatural power of the gospel, not by the law.[5]
The disciples are equipped with sound doctrine, but why? They are equipped for ministry work to build up the church, which grows and builds up in love (Eph 4:12,16). Equipping consists of several spiritual disciplines that help disciples better understand the saving gospel of Jesus. The spiritual disciplines can be done individually, corporately, or both. “The Spiritual Disciplines are those practices found in Scripture that promote spiritual growth among believers in the gospel of Jesus Christ.”[6] These disciplines include reading and studying the Bible, hearing Scripture read, worship, fasting, prayer, and more. It’s important to note that these are not just activities but gospel-centered practices that are biblical and sufficient for our spiritual growth.[7]
We become more Christlike by seeing more of Christ. This image transformation happens by becoming unveiled, becoming unblind by the Spirit. With our eyes “open,” we can see God’s glory. By seeing God’s glory, we “are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another” (2 Cor 3:18). Notice that Scripture says “from one degree of glory to another.” So, equipping disciples does not happen quickly; it continues until the eternal glory of the Lord is unveiled.
Preaching and Teaching
In First Timothy chapter three, Paul uses thirteen of the sixteen verses to explain the qualifications of Overseers and Deacons, which are important for the glory of God. Then, in verse 16, he explains that we confess the mystery of godliness because it is indeed great. He continues by confessing what the mystery of godliness is: “He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Tim 3:16). The mystery of godliness is the gospel and it is to be preached and taught. Therefore, preaching and teaching a sermon should focus on the doctrine of the soul’s salvation.[8]
Sermons should be gospel-centered to edify the unsaved about their sinful nature, the fact that Christ is their only redemption, and the power of God’s grace. A gospel-centered sermon has the power to simultaneously evangelize to the unsaved while equipping disciples with the image of Jesus. It is important to prepare a sermon with care for and understanding of the flock guided by the Holy Spirit because the sermon can have dual roles.
Choosing a topic or a text that beholds God’s glory for preaching or teaching is important. It requires the pastor to deeply understand his sheep, their pains, and joys. This understanding ensures that the sermon is relevant and impactful and makes the flock feel valued and understood. As Spurgeon says, “[W]e shall be true shepherds of the sheep, and the profiting of our people will soon be apparent.”[9] The pastor must also spend personal time with the Lord, studying the Word and in prayer seeking the Spirit’s guidance.
A pastor worth his salt must know the gospel before he can proclaim the gospel. “Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness” (1 Tim 4:7). Paul tells Timothy this so that he can “[c]ommand and teach these things” (4:11). Timothy commands and teaches by being an example in godliness and preaching Scripture to the believers. He is to continually command and teach because it will transform himself and his hearers from one degree to another into the image of Christ.
Corporate Worship
Corporate Worship must be “bibliocentric, God-fearing worship that exalts, edifies, and evangelizes.”[10] But why have corporate worship? “[T]o stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near” (Heb 10:24-25). We meet and encourage one another to “hold fast the confession” of the gospel (Heb 10:23).
Sunday Service, a time of reverence and devotion, consists of an order of service called a liturgy. The liturgy, centered around the Word of God, can consist of music and singing, prayer, reading of Scripture, preaching and teaching, and the ordinances of baptism and the Lord’s Supper. We get a sense of reverent prayer, reading, preaching, and teaching of Scripture, along with the fellowship of breaking bread in Nehemiah 8. In several biblical passages, especially Psalm 150, music and song are used in worship. All the elements of the liturgy exalt the Lord, edify the saints, and evangelize the lost.
Granted, Scripture does not prescribe a set liturgy, but we should consider historical liturgy practices to ensure our order of service is biblical. A table of the Basic Liturgies of the Western Church shared the following four elements:[11] “(1) the reading and singing of Scripture, (2) the sermon on Scripture, (3) prayer according to Scripture, and (4) the Lord’s Supper modeled after what is recorded in Scripture.”[12] The above information is intended to inspire us when considering what elements to use in the worship service. Moreover, we must ensure that the elements and their order are profitable and bring glory to God. The liturgy must be inspired by the Word and guided by the Spirit.
Leadership
Leadership and gospel-driven leadership are similar, but gospel-driven leadership has additional qualities because it involves more than simply accomplishing a task. Leadership intentionally influences others, while gospel-driven leadership is the same but “from a heart of grace toward the heart of Christ.”[13] Titus 1 provides a list of mixed qualities an elder should have and should not have (1:6-7). Then, in verse 8, we see: “hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.” I submit that these are the qualities of a “heart of grace.”
As born sinners, how does a pastor or anyone get a heart of grace to lead? Jonathon Leeman states, “In God’s design, submission is the pathway to authority.”[14] Leeman illustrates his point with the story of Joseph in the Book of Genesis. Joseph is sold into bondage by his brothers and taken to Egypt. In Egypt, Joseph is handed over to Pharaoh and must submit to him. Later, Joseph becomes the second in command over all of Egypt. Likewise, in other areas of life, one usually submits to an authority figure (boss, teacher, coach) before a leadership role is considered. So, a pastor must submit to the gospel before pastoral leadership is possible. Paul tells us the same thing but adds that the overseer “must not be a recent convert” to avoid ego problems and falling away (1 Tim 3:6).
The pastor must have other attributes to lead gracefully and effectively. In his book Gospel-Driven Ministry, Jared C. Wilson lists four “above the minimum” attributes for pastoral leadership: (1) Seeing the whole field, (2) Resilience, (3) Initiative, and (4) Emotional Intelligence.[15] A pastor who can be amongst the sheep getting dirty with labor and still be aware of the circling wolf “sees the whole field.” He is more likely to predict and avoid future entrapments or snares.
Resiliency in the gospel-driven ministry context does not mean pushing forward at all costs. It means handling the hardships of shepherding while maintaining a compassionate heart. Imagine smacking your thumb with a hammer and then having to lovingly tend to one of your sheep. Do not carry the tension from one area over to another. Resiliency also requires taking the nips and kicks from the sheep and still tending to them. Correcting or rebuking may be necessary, but it must come from a heart of love.
A pastor must be more than reactive. He must take the initiative—be proactive. Paul is a good example of this. He is confined, believing he will die soon. Does he sit in sorrow and sulk? No, he puts pen to paper to continue leading his sheep and mentoring the elders under him. An example is 1 Tim 3:14, “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that…” Paul is not waiting or biding his time. He is taking the initiative, being resilient, and seeing the whole field by writing, “Here are my instructions.” Unled sheep will try to lead themselves and wander into the thickets and briars.
Emotional intelligence is being sensitive to those around us and understanding how our actions or words will affect them or the situation. Jesus is the best example of this quality, and the gospel transforms us “from one degree of glory to another” in His image (2 Cor 3:18). So, we must emulate Christ Jesus in our calling to proclaim the gospel to our flock and the nations.
Conclusion
We covered the pastor’s role as the church leader in evangelism, equipping disciples, preaching and teaching, corporate worship, and leadership. As we can see, the pastor’s role is multi-faceted but must remain centered on the gospel message of Christ Jesus. The gospel brings salvation to God’s people because one cannot be saved without hearing about Jesus’s love for us, as He was sacrificed for our sins on the cross.
[1] Jared C. Wilson, Gospel-Driven Ministry (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 202), 11-12.
[2] Timothy K. Beougher, Invitation to Evangelism: Sharing the Gospel with Compassion and Conviction (Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel, 2021), 6).
[3] Unless otherwise specified, all Bible references in this paper are to the Holy Bible, English Standard Version (ESV) (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2016).
[4] Wilson, 147.
[5] Ibid., 38.
[6] Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2014), 4.
[7] Ibid., 6-7.
[8] Charles H. Spurgeon, Lectures to my Students (Brentwood, TN: B&H, 2023), 70.
[9] Spurgeon, 73.
[10] Douglas Sean O’Donnell, “Sunday Worship,” in The Pastor’s Book: A Comprehensive and Practical Guide to Pastoral Ministry, ed. Douglas Sean O’Donnell (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2015), 32.
[11] O’Donnell, Table 1, 49.
[12] Ibid., 50.
[13] Wilson, 142.
[14] Jonathon Leeman, Authority: How Godly Rule Protects the Vulnerable, Strengthens Communities, and Promotes Human Flourishing (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2023), 64.
[15] Wilson, 143-148.
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