You, the pastor, should set the example, and you, the pastor, are untimately accountable
I am currently working through the Revelation that Jesus gave John on the island of Patmos, with my Bible study group. As I have already explained to them, Revelation is not about the total annihilation that is the future of the planet and unbelieving inhabitants. It is far more than that, a book of hope, but also a warning to wake up and live God-fearing lives committed to Jesus Christ. The anchor of the book is found in the seven letters Jesus dictates to John, sent to the seven churches.
Just for a bit of background, John was banished to the island of Patmos for his faith in Jesus Christ, as seen in Revelation 1:9. Patmos was a penal colony used by the Romans to deal with political dissidents or anyone who did not align with the wishes of Rome. It is here that Jesus appears to John and not only commands him to write letters to seven existing churches, but also shows him the future.
What we tend to overlook, and what I want to address here, is that the letters to the seven churches are first aimed at the leaders than at the members themselves and then to the larger congregation. Very often we will use an individual as representing a whole, and it is no different in the witing style of the Bible. In the seven letters, Jesus does not as such focus on the members of the seven churches, but their leaders. In the end though, people often do as their leaders do. They follow the example set to them. Look at the following:
- Write to the angel of the church in [name of church].
- First, the letters are not written to real angels as heavenly beings. Angels do not need to repent, as is requested in almost all the letters (2:5; 2:16; 2:21; 3:3; and 3:19). This is simply because there is no salvation plan for angels.
- Angels are messengers, but the Greek word (Ἄγγελος) Angelos is also used for people, as we see in Mark’s reference to John the Baptist in Mark 1:2-4. Thus, the pastor of the church is the messenger God uses to proclaim his message to the church, and the letters are addressed to them.
- The pastor is the one who guides his flock. He is the shepherd, and he determines where the flock goes. Where the shepherd strays off the path God has in mind for his people, there most of the members will follow. It is as simple as that.
- The letters all use singular second person pronouns and therefor refer to individuals. Note the consistent use of you and your. There are some cases where the plural form is assumed, such as in Revelation 2:10; and 2:23-25.
- The pastor is representative of the entire church, and as such carries not only authority and responsibility, but also accountability. This is where the problem lies in most of our modern churches.
Church leaders live and operate within a given society, and they are often representative of their societies. Jesus addresses this by not using the plural form “you” but mostly the singular. For the moment, let us not focus on the things Jesus says these pastors are doing well. Doing well only means you have reached the standard expected, nothing more. It is the areas where you have not reached the standard that are the focus and where the problems are.
You have left your first love
Many pastors start off so well. They serve the church, set an example, and feed the flock. With time however, their attention is drawn away from the church, and they focus on other things that have nothing, or very little, to do with the ministry. Some members of the church will notice this, and it will result in conflict. As the pastor, you were never intended to serve your own interests before that of the congregation. I hear of pastors who run business empires and amass millions, and clearly their focus is not on what they were called for. They have left their first love, shepherding the congregation, and now cling to money. [ See this article for more about hunting money... ] Leaving their first love is the focus on the pastor in Ephesus.
False doctrines
In the letter to the pastor of the church in Pergamos Jesus points out that the pastor allows the teaching of doctrines that are wrong – that of Balaam and the Nicolaitans. Paul warned Timothy that there would be a time when false doctrine was allowed in the church. See 2 Timothy 4:3. If we thought that this would only happen in our time, we are wrong. Jesus warned about this not even 30 years after Paul wrote about it because by then it had already happened. Most pastors today do not want to preach sound doctrine, because the finger is then pointed at themselves amd they are taken out of their comfort zone, and members are reluctant to receive sound doctrine for the same reason.
The spirit of Jezebel
Jesus will be very unpopular in our time because of this rebuke. Teaching in the church is the responsibility of men. Full stop. In the church in Thyatira a woman was allowed to teach, and she called herself a prophetess. Note that she was not even appointed to this position but did so herself. Even then, the position of prophet does not exist in the church anymore. [ See our article on false prophets... ]. Paul warned against women teaching in church. See 1 Timothy 2:12. Study the life of Jezebel, the wife of Ahab, in the Old Testament, and you will see why any woman who is not in line with the Word of God, is often referred to as Jezebel. Think for a moment who teaches in your church.
You are dead
What a terrible thing to hear. Jesus says to the leader in the church of Sardis that he has a name (reputation) that he lives spiritually, but instead he is dead. He is accused that his works are not perfect in the sight of God. Many of our churches are exactly this. Dead. Where there is no living water, offered to the congregation through sound teaching, the result is thirst, starvation, and spiritual death. Of course, this is simply the result of leaving your first love. What reputation do you have in your church? Do you as pastor teach sound basic doctrine aimed to teach and exhort, or do you deliver eloquent speeches aimed to please and tickle ears?
You are neither cold nor hot
Sitting on the fence is never a good thing and is inherently dangerous. Many of our pastors today are scared to preach sound doctrine, just in case it drives people away and loses the church income, and so they try to follow a path of compromise. Teaching sound doctrine has made way for shows, which is what most Sunday morning sermons have become. Because they are so focused on protecting the empires they have built for themselves, they will get rid of anyone that challenges them in any way. Most members in the congregation though, may unfortunately be oblivious to the wrongs that take place, probably because they do not know the Word. Had they known the Word, anything that does not sound or look like the Word would be evidence as false.
Conclusion
As a pastor of a church, you are accountable for what happens to the flock. Are you going to take heed to the warnings Jesus gave to the pastors in the letters and focus on the flock, not yourself?
As a member of a church, you must take a good look at what is going on. Without being overly critical, carefully study how leaders in your church act and what they say. Is their focus on the welfare of the church they serve, or are they more interested in the cars they drive and the business interests they have? Do they manage the church as a distant, closed "team" or are they open to suggestions from members? Do they intentionally sideline those members who are aware that everything is not well and are trying to communicate this with them? Are the decisions they make, focused on growing the church, or do their decisions stifle growth and ultimately chase people away?
The fulltime ministry was never about money, but reaching the unreached and teaching the untaught. It appears this is no longer the case. If Jesus visits the 21st century church today, what is He going to find? [ More about this topic here... ]