“And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.” 

Jeremiah 3:15

The Bible teaches us that as Christians, we have all been made partakers of the Divine nature. (II Peter 1:4) However, I also learn that He has given pastors a heart like His own.  Not perfect like His, of course… but still very much like His.

God has given pastors a heart to love God’s people. What an awesome responsibility that is. A heart that is open, not just for compassion, but for empathy; a heart to care for people during trials and troubles in their lives; to be with people as they walk through the journey of losing a loved one at death; to be with the family who struggles financially to make ends meet; and to be gifted with a heart that is open to those who are seeking to follow Christ.

Far greater than preaching, and certainly preaching is the heart of every pastor, it is the love that radiates and permeates in the life of God’s servant. People will soon forget a sermon no matter how good it is, but they will never forget a pastor who has loved them and ministered to them especially during the difficult times in their lives.

Therefore, one of the best yard sticks for a pastor’s love for God, is to measure it against his love for God’s people. That’s what the Lord told Peter after Peter affirmed his love for Christ. The Lord said: “feed my sheep” (John 21.16). So, how can a pastor love Christ? By loving the sheep, and members of his specific church in particular.  I think a good pastor shows his love for the people in several ways.

1. By preaching Christ to Them. A steady diet of biblical truth—the whole counsel of God– must come from the pulpit. The pastor who loves his people will constantly analyze the needs of his people, and will ask the Holy Spirit to give him the message he needs to tirelessly point them away from themselves and this world to Christ Jesus.  A pastor may build a huge ministry, but if he fails to faithfully preach the word, he is not doing the work God called him to do.

 

2. By praying for them. A pastor must give himself to the hard and holy duty of prayer. He must desperately plead the mercies of God, the power of the Spirit, and the illumination of the Word, not only for his own soul but also for each of his sheep individually.

 

3. By caring for them. The shepherd’s rod is used to bravely fight off the dangerous wolves, but it must also be used to tenderly give love, care, compassion, and guidance. Indeed, the pastor’s heart should be overflowing with affection for his people; even the rebellious ones. Oh, how a pastor longs for the maturity and growth of his people.  Oh, how he longs to minister to your needs, speak to you the truth in love, encourage you in Christ, and constantly remind you of your union with our Lord.  Oh yes, and to tell you of the future hope of the coming of Christ and your eternal glory with Him in heaven.

 

4. By developing leaders within them. The work must go on. So, it is a loving pastor who tries to replicate and replace himself.  With an unwavering trust in God’s timing and sovereignty, he looks for faithful men who can carry on the work in his absence.  A wise pastor knows that the church will never rise above the spiritual maturity of the male leadership, so he gives himself to the training and shepherding of other men through instruction, example, and prayer.

 

5. By modeling holiness among them. A pastor understands the power of example. He has read and understands why the Apostle Paul urges the believers to imitate him and follow his example. A minister realizes that verbal instruction is one thing, but his holy conduct is just as vital. He cannot preach one thing in the pulpit and unpreach what he has just said through his conduct. A shepherd says to the sheep: “Follow me as I follow Christ.” There must be a model of godliness and an example of the pursuit of Christ that the flock can find in their pastor. This above-reproach lifestyle is unquestionably necessary in every man of God.

 

Billy Graham once said, “The most important characteristic of any pastor is a heart for God, a deep desire to live for Christ and to see others come to know him and serve him”.  I realize and recognize how blessed I am that God has chosen me to be one of His vessels.

Pastoring is more than a profession, it is a calling, and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has called me to this sacred task. I enjoy every moment of it, and am well aware that I cannot do it by myself. Thanks be unto God for choosing and using me. Thanks be unto God for the faithful people that I have pastored over the years.  Quite often, they saw something in me that I did not see in myself. I would like to share with you a letter I have written to all the wonderful people I have pastored over the years.  It is just a small attempt to express how privileged I have been to be your pastor.

Here is a Letter Pastor Worthington Shared With His Church Regarding A Pastor’s Love For His People.

Dear Church,

This is a love letter.  Not a letter of a sensual or romantic nature.  But a love letter none-the-less.  I speak as a Pastor deeply in love with the faithful members of my congregation.  It has been your prayers and loyalty that has helped sustain me over the years; and yes, for some of us it has been years.

I am not the type of fellow that moves from church to church, so I have always figured we are pretty much stuck with each other.  You were there when the young man that is still deep inside me was not covered with age spots, grey hair, and wrinkles.  You may not know it, but you helped me grow.  You see, even today every time I prepare a message, I always think of you.  I wonder if the message will minister to you and meet your needs.  I season it with prayer hoping that it might ease your burden, even a little.  We’ve been together long enough to see each other’s weakness, yet Christ has still allowed our love to grow.  Apparently, somewhere along the way we learned to forgive.  When God put you in my life, neither one of us had any idea what was to come. The years have been good, at least most of the time.

Of course, you’ve also seen me go through some pretty deep valleys.  You have helped to navigate through some of my toughest times, and most likely you didn’t even realize how priceless your support really was. You’ve seen me face the death of a loved one, betrayal, rejection, and a flood—or two.   Yet, each time as I hung upon the cross, I was called to bear, I looked out and you were there.  You were there with my closest family. Indeed, you were there as my closest family.  Your tears mingled with ours, and we were bonded together with the chains that are only forged in adversity.  You have always been there for me, for my wife, and for my family.  It has not gone unnoticed.  Nor, will it ever be forgotten.

I always like to get to church early.  I am sure you thought it was just a part of my compulsive need to be on time.  However, your analysis is only partially correct.  I get there so you might know how much I have longed to see you.  I get there to experience the joy of seeing you walk in.  There is something about you that just changes the atmosphere of the building.  Your presence gives me a big part of my reason for being there.  When you are not there, you are missed more than you might imagine.   I know our fellowship is small so it is easy to tell when someone is away, but your absence goes deeper than that.  I am not sure I can explain it.  Jesus loved the world, but the Scripture points out specifically that He loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus.  There must have been something about being near them that He found comforting.  I find that comfort in you.

I cannot remember a time when you did not contribute to our work.  As our ministry has grown, so has your involvement.  Over time you have supported our church, our school, our college, our radio ministry, and our magazine.  There are dozens of other projects that prospered under your generosity.  You have unselfishly given of your time, treasure, and talents.  I know God has given me a mandate to study, preach, minister and lead.  But my service would not have been as effective if you had not accepted your mandate to attend, serve, and be involved.   As I look at all God has allowed me to do, I see the benefit of your investment in each endeavor.

It is becoming apparent that one day I will no longer be able to be your Pastor.  If our Lord tarries, age will continue to take its toll.  Just remember, it was not always my faith in God that kept me going.  Quite often, it was your faith in me that compelled me to take the next step.  I loved you too much to disappoint you or let you down.  Thank you for being a member of our church.  Thank you for being my friend. Thank you for forgiving my failures.  Thank you for being the one who didn’t leave. Thank you for making me feel strong, courageous, and brave; even when I wasn’t. Thank you for praying for me without ceasing. Thank you for constantly showing me that you were always there. Thank you for growing with me instead of away from me. Thank you for listening to my sermons, my counsel, and my jokes, although you could have easily received better from someone else.  Thank you for lifting me up.  And perhaps most remarkable, you did all this while bearing your own burdens, which at times were much heavier than my own.

One day, we shall enjoy eternity together.  Perhaps then we will have time to reflect on the work our Lord has allowed us to do together here on earth.  Oh, what a glorious moment to reflect over the years of memories while standing before the throne.

If there is anything I have learned in recent times, it is that acquaintances come and go. People change, and people often forsake you. Sometimes, without even giving it a second thought, we move away from each other and grow apart. However, a true friend is a treasure that should never be taken for granted.  I hope you know how loved and appreciated you are, by me and by hundreds of others whose lives you have selflessly entered.  I look at some people as friends, and some as family.  But I look at you as a friend who became family.

Over the years, I have been richly blessed by those who from the time we met, until the time of their home-going, they were always there for me.  They were faithful friends until the end of their earthly lives.  Oh, how wonderful it was.  But, in you I see something different.  I see the blessing of having the same friend during almost every stage of my life.  Although I can’t see the end of the journey yet, it appears that now I have been blessed with a friend until the end of my life.

I am so grateful that you are a faithful member of the church I am privileged to pastor, but much more than this, you have given me the gift of a priceless and treasured friendship.  My feelings cannot be expressed in a mere letter.  Words seem to come up short.  Yet, I pray in some small way I have conveyed how much you have contributed to my life.  I needed you more than you will ever know in this life.

I don’t know if our Lord will deem me worthy of any reward at the judgement, but should I be so blessed, I feel I should give my reward to you to lay at His feet.  You see, I know who God really used to make it all possible, and it wasn’t me.

Your grateful servant,

T. D. Worthington