Pastors according to mine heart

'Pastors according to mine heart'

— Jeremiah 3:15

God promised that he would give his church pastors according to his own heart. That means, he will give his church pastors as he sees fit and pastors who will serve the good of those people he so clearly loves. Those men God gives to his church as pastors, according to his own heart, ‘shall feed you with knowledge and understanding’. Here are three things that will characterize every God called, Spirit-anointed, heavenly-ordained pastor.

Every true pastor is a faithful man. Without question, if a man is called of God to the work of the gospel ministry, he will be faithful in the work. His life and conduct will reflect his steadfastness, commitment and faithfulness to Christ. He will faithfully seek the glory of God, study and prepare to preach the Word of God, seek the welfare of God’s people and preach the gospel of Christ. He will be faithful to Christ, to the Word, to the church and to his own conscience. No man should be set apart for the gospel until he has proved himself to be a faithful man (2 Tim. 2:2; 1 Cor. 4:2).

Every true, faithful servant of God is also a fallible, sinful man. The apostles and prophets of old were themselves only frail, fallible, sinful men. They were infallible in the writing of Holy Scripture, as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But they were not perfect men. Moses Smote the rock in anger. Peter cursed and denied the Lord. All the apostles forsook Christ for a while. Paul and Barnabas had a terrible fight over John Mark. And you can be sure every pastor will have many faults. Those who want to find fault with any can easily do so.

Yet every true pastor is God’s ambassador, God’s servant, God’s messenger. He is to be loved, cared for, respected and obeyed as God’s representative in his church. I often hear people say, ‘I do not follow any man.’ If you follow God, you will follow that man who speaks for God. You will not err by following a faithful pastor. God commands you to do so!