(The following is a message preached by Dr. Larry Hufhand, who pastored for more than half a century. His crowning ministry was a 41-year stint as senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Tipton, Indiana.)
There are some fundamental factors essential in every pastor’s ministry if it is or was successful. Someone has said, “A man’s value is not determined by the abilities he possesses, but by the ability he uses.”
In II Samuel 12:1 we read, “And the Lord sent Nathan unto David.” Here we see the intrinsic value of God’s servant. It’s about David and his clever scheming to cover up his sin, but what I want to demonstrate here is that the full story of David’s life would have never been told, had it not been for the obedience and bravery of Nathan. God sent Nathan to David.
That’s how it always begins. A man falls into a pit and breaks his leg. He has to have help in getting out. It’s useless to expect him to climb out by himself. He must have the help of another; so it was with David. David had sinned a great sin, and his moral backbone was broken. If he was ever going to get out of the slime pit of his moral dilemma, someone was going to have to come along and help him out. I wonder how many people would still be gripped by their sin had it not been for some faithful servant of God that came along to extend to them a spiritual helping hand. God sent Nathan to David.
I am going to ask you to consider some truths found in Hebrews, chapter 13. It is a great passage dealing with relationships: to each other, to strangers, to those suffering in persecution, to our spouses, and to those who are our pastors. God gives us in verses 7, 17, and 24 the recipe for a perfect relationship between the pastor and his flock. It is the recipe for a long and fruitful pastorate.
Let me point out two things that give value to the man of God: first of all, his value is seen in what he does; and, secondly, his value is seen in how he musters the forces. In this message I will deal with “What he does.” Let me make something clear: Being a pastor is not a 40-hour-a-week job. It’s not a five days-a-week job, starting at 9:00 o’clock and ending at 5:00 o’clock. Most of the time, it is 10, 12, 14 hours a day, and he’s on call 24/7. Even when he takes a day off, you’re not out of his mind. From Hebrews 13, we see the pastor’s value in three areas:
- He speaks unto you the Word of God (v. 7). Whatever else the church has to offer, nothing else comes close to this. When the preacher opens his Bible and speaks to you the Word of God, he is speaking with the same authority as if God Himself were speaking to you. You may argue with his opinions; you may even debate some of his conclusions. But when he expounds to you the Word of God, there is no debate. Nathan delivered to the king God’s message. Period. Case closed. That’s what the prophet/pastor does. You come for preaching. You come to hear the man of God open this Book unto you—the Word of God. It pleases God by the foolishness of preaching to save those who are lost. Preaching gets men under conviction; preaching gets people saved; preaching brings backsliders back to Christ; preaching makes people aware of their sin; preaching introduces people to Jesus; and preaching gets people down the aisle so that we can take them to a side room and lead them to Christ.
- Then, too, the pastor watches over your souls (v. 17). The word “watch” comes from two words which mean to “chase away sleep.” The idea is that he dare not get sidetracked or distracted by other things. He’s got to stay focused, watching over your souls. Why? I’ll tell you why: because sheep can get themselves in trouble. They are easily led astray. They can get lost in a minute. They’re like children; sometimes they find themselves in places and situations that they can’t get out of. You may think the pastor who watches out for you is meddling. He’s not fussing with you; he’s not getting on your case. No. He is simply watching out for your soul, like Nathan was—at God’s bidding—watching out for David’s soul. Then, finally…
- He gives direction to your life (vss. 7, 17, 24). Notice the word “rule.” Three times he uses this word to describe the responsibility and value of the pastor. Now I know we don’t like that word. It smacks of tyranny and dictatorship. But the word “to rule” here means “to guide,” or to “give direction.” Listen, folks, the pastor is not here for himself. He’s here for you. He wants you to have the full benefit of his wisdom, as well as God’s blessings on your life; he wants to guide you into green pastures and lead you beside still waters; he wants to help in the restoration of your soul, so when you walk…you need fear no evil.
Well, there it is, something about the value of the pastor. Ah, but wait a minute. None of us would be here today if it were not for another person infinitely more valuable than our pastors. Of course, I am talking about our precious Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. I would be terribly remiss, and God would be extremely upset, if I didn’t tell you about Him. He’s the Lily of the Valley, the Rose of Sharon, and the Pearl of Great Price. He’s the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, and everything in between. Without Him, we would be doomed and damned, with no hope of eternal life.
“Preach the Word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.” (II Tim.4:2)
Contact Dr. Hufhand at drldhmlh@sbcglobal.net
YOU and GOD 