MY PASTOR; MY GIFT . PART 3

MY PASTOR MY GIFT: PART 3

God so loved us in Christ that He gave us gifts (pastors ) for our thorough furnishing in Christ. We have seen so far that it is the will of God that we have pastors and that pastors are to feed us with the knowledge of Christ and bring us to the experience of who we are in Christ. We have also seen that we owe our pastors prayers and our resources as they minister spiritual things to us. Kindly ensure you click here to read PART one and PART two of this series if you have not before reading part three .

Ephesians 4

 8 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men.

 9 (Now that he ascended, what is it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth?

 10 He that descended is the same also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fill all things.)

 11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;

12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:

 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:

 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;

He gave some as Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Pastors and Teachers. These men are gifts given by Christ unto other men in the body. Pastor is a general name for ministry gifts. Calling one by his title is not bad if it helps you receive better; if it helps to identify their giftedness. But, you must realize that ministry doesn’t consist in title but in grace , power and work.

It is of paramount importance to learn how to receive from pastors as believers knowing fully well the role they play in our spiritual growth and walk with God. It is in God’s wisdom that He gave gifts- men to have oversight over others. It is foolishness to say you don’t need a pastor.

SO HOW DO WE RECEIVE FROM PASTORS (MINISTRY GIFTS)?

It begins with IDENTIFICATION. You must know your pastor and what he does in your life . Identifying the role of a pastor which is to teach God’s word primarily helps you to receive better from him.

1 Thessalonians 5

12 And we beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you in the Lord, and admonish you;

 13 And to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake. And be at peace among yourselves.

We are told to KNOW them which labour among us(our pastors ). To know as used in verse 12 means to perceive with the eyes, to design or discover. You must know your pastors and ESTEEM them highly. It is important to take note of the instruction in verse 13. To esteem very highly means to esteem more than is necessary. That word highly means exceeding in number or rank, far and beyond what is necessary. This means that there is no estimation that you can of have your pastor that is too much.

Knowing and esteeming your pastor affects your receptiveness and even how you give to him as we saw in part two of this series. Let’s look at an example of Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Please read carefully.

Mark 14

 1 After two days was the feast of the passover, and of unleavened bread: and the chief priests and the scribes sought how they might take him by craft, and put him to death.

 2 But they said, Not on the feast day, lest there be an uproar of the people.

 3 And being in Bethany in the house of Simon the leper, as he sat at meat, there came a woman having an alabaster box of ointment of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head.

 4 And there were some that had indignation within themselves, and said, Why was this waste of the ointment made?

 5 For it might have been sold for more than three hundred pence, and have been given to the poor. And they murmured against her.

 6 And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me.

 7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always.

 Notice the people called the ointment poured on Jesus a waste. This is the same way today when some persons hear that a man esteemed his pastor to the extent of buying a private jet or a house for him , they talk against such man. Jesus rebuked the people and said she has done a good work because the poor you have always. You give because you esteem the person and see him worthy of your resources for his work sake . It is not the same thing as charity. You are not giving to him or esteeming him because he doesn’t have. Esteeming highly is out of proportion. If it is not too much, it is not enough. We esteem them super abundantly. My estimation of my pastor is out of love and without condition save that he labours in the word for me.

In receiving from your pastor, what is your estimation of him? HOW DO YOU SEE HIM?

Galatians 4

 13 Ye know how through infirmity of the flesh I preached the gospel unto you at the first.

 14 And my temptation which was in my flesh ye despised not, nor rejected; but received me as an angel of God, even as Christ Jesus.

 15 Where is then the blessedness ye spake of? For I bear you record, that, if it had been possible, ye would have plucked out your own eyes, and have given them to me.

When Paul came to the church at Galatia, he was received as an angel, a messenger of Jesus despite the bruises on his body as a result of persecution. This is how to receive from pastors. You must receive your pastor as a messenger of Jesus not minding anything physical. Do not allow physical circumstances affect your reception of your pastor. Regardless of the situation, see him as a sent one from God.

Your pastor must always be anointed for you. You receive a pastor in the name and authority of a pastor. This will help you even in receiving spirituals from your Pastor.

Matthew 10

 41 He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet’s reward; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man shall receive a righteous man’s reward.

You must receive a pastor in the name and authority of a pastor to enjoy your pastor’s blessedness. You cannot see your Pastor as a brother if not all you will get is the blessedness of having a brother. ‘ receiving a prophet in the name( authority,accomplishment) of a prophet. What is the prophet’s reward? His giftedness. Enjoying the blessedness of him being your pastor. This will affect even how you adore and receive the words of prophecies from your pastor.

RECEIVING SPIRITUALS AND PROPHECIES FROM YOUR PASTORS

The words of God can never go void . This means that when God’s word is spoken including words of prophecy, the words have happened. Many times the issue is in receiving these words and ensuring that we experience them.

Paul told Timothy;,

This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare; 1 (Timothy 1:18).

This first thing in receiving prophecies is to accept the prophecies. Tell your self I AGREE, AMEN instead of saying, it will happen if it will happen. Many times how you receive a word at that initial stage determines if you will experience the words . You must know they are the words of God and you must see the prophesier with honour as God’s spokesman in that he has the spirit and spoke by the spirit of God.

Next you must war; take a stand with those words. Many times we receive words with Joy and forget the words. Some persons even get angry at God and the prophesier that they have not experience the words instead of seeing the words as what have happened and insisting on them.

In waring with prophecies, you must learn to never forget the words. You must believe the words no matter your experiences. You must speak the same words because you believe. Make up your mind that no words of blessing spoken over you can ever go void . Meditate on them. Give yourself wholely to these words then your profiting will be evident in them .

When we fail to do these, we will have our experiences different from the words of prophecies spoken over us. This same thing happens when believers fail to accept the written word and their in Christ realities . God’s word is true and has happened but we have to happen to the same words by laying hold on them and insisting that our experiences align with these words knowing fully well that the words cannot fall to the ground.

Renew your mind that whatever my pastor says to me must come to pass because I receive him in his capacity- in the name of a prophet.

First agree with the words your pastor speaks about you. Agree with what was spoken. When you agree, obey every instructions; war with the words.

Let’s see how the wife of a prophet was able to receive from Elisha the prophet .

 2 Kings 4

 1 Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

 2 And Elisha said unto her, What shall I do for thee? tell me, what hast thou in the house? And she said, Thine handmaid hath not any thing in the house, save a pot of oil.

 3 Then he said, Go, borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours, even empty vessels; borrow not a few.

 4 And when thou art come in, thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons, and shalt pour out into all those vessels, and thou shalt set aside that which is full.

 5 So she went from him, and shut the door upon her and upon her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured out.

 6 And it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said unto her son, Bring me yet a vessel. And he said unto her, There is not a vessel more. And the oil stayed.

 7 Then she came and told the man of God. And he said, Go, sell the oil, and pay thy debt, and live thou and thy children of the rest

See how the woman was able to follow the prophet’s instructions. She went about borrowing vessels because the prophet has spoken and she saw the miracle. Many times , when we don’t follow and believe the words from our pastor, we end up in disappointments. You must take the word from your pastor as the word of God. You MUST OBEY and act according to these words to see its blessedness. You don’t determine how to receive from your pastor . If you juxtapose this woman’s story with that of Naaman in 2 Kings 5, Naaman had a notion of how Elisha will heal him of his leprosy.

2 Kings 5

 10 And Elisha sent a messenger unto him, saying, Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean.

 11 But Naaman was wroth, and went away, and said, Behold, I thought, He will surely come out to me, and stand, and call on the name of the LORD his God, and strike his hand over the place, and recover the leper. 

 12 Are not Abana and Pharpar, rivers of Damascus, better than all the waters of Israel? May I not wash in them, and be clean? So he turned and went away in a rage. Note

 13 And his servants came near, and spake unto him, and said, My father, if the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, Wash, and be clean?

 14 Then went he down, and dipped himself seven times in Jordan, according to the saying of the man of God: and his flesh came again like unto the flesh of a little child, and he was clean.

Naaman wanted Elisha to come touch him. He already had a notion of how to receive. This made him disappointed. Thank God for the wise counsel from the servant, he would have not been healed . We must learn never to determine how to receive from pastors. We MUST TAKE the instructions given by the pastor as our life depends on them. Even instructions that come from his teaching the word must be taken and obeyed. Be responsible- take charge; war with the words. Receiving spirituals doesn’t work by luck. In receiving spirituals, obedience is key. Do not model how you receive from your pastor.

Finally in receiving from your Pastor you MUST BE FREE FROM OFFENCES.

HOW DO WILL DEAL WITH OFFENCES AGAINST PASTORS AND HOW CAN WE BE FREE FROM THESE OFFENCES?

Offences are enemies of any kind of relationship. We must never allow offence in your relationship with your Pastor. Let’s look at Jesus and his people.

Mark 6

 1 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him.

 2 And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands?

 3 Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him.

 4 But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house.

 5 And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them.

 6 And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.

The people were offended at Jesus because of familiarity. Notice this hindered Jesus from doing mighty works among them save that he laid hands on few people and healed them. When Jesus said, a prophet is not without honour except in his town, Jesus was not stating a norm but correcting them. A prophet actually supposed to have more honour in his town and among his people. But many times familiarity hinders this . Other things like the conduct of the pastor can bring offence . But you must watch against it. Offence will make you not to be able to receive from your pastor. Don’t forget, IF YOU ARE OFFENDED AT YOUR PASTOR , you are doing yourself harm not him. How do you avoid offence?

It is primarily by putting your eyes on the right things. Your Pastor is your pastor because he labours in word and doctrine for you. It is not because he is perfect in conduct, or rich or poor, or because of his background. Your pastor may be your younger brother, your spouse, your friend etc., you must never allow family ties or human relationships to affect you from seeing him as your pastor. To avoid and deal with offence against your pastor:

• Avoid familiarity with your pastor . Don’t allow any physical relationship with your pastor to distract you from knowing that he is your pastor .

• Avoid comparing your pastor with other pastors .

• Put your eyes on the right things . Remove your eyes from anything physical. Your pastor is your pastor by the grace of Jesus. He is God’s gift to you.

• Ensure you guard your heart against anything that can bring offence.

• Severe yourself from people that will make you offended at your pastor .

• Continually give to your pastor. This will help you to continue to esteem him highly. Continually give what is of high value to your pastor, it will help you to price him high and receive from him.

So far we have seen in this series that we cannot do without ministry gifts in the body of Christ. We must never undermine the role of pastors in the church because of offences. We should not allowed the world system to define how we relate with pastors. God’s word is our final take. We are to esteem pastors very highly, give to them, pray for them, submit to them, obey them , consistently receive spirituals from them and never ever be offended at your pastors . My pastor is God’s gift to me. I cannot afford not to maximize this gift of God .

 

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BY EMEKE MODESTY OBIAZIKWOR

       www.emekemodesty.com

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