The Scriptures give us the job of a pastor very clearly. I’ll deal with some of the language used at a later point and talk about how those words are connected to the assumed role of the pastor that Paul makes when he addresses young Timothy and Titus as well as the assumed role Peter makes when he addresses elders in his letter.What is that assumed role? They assume we are following Jesus and know that role and mission well.
Remember, pastors are leading a culture of people inside a culture of people to a very clear and specific mission. If a pastor loses sight of the mission while managing the culture of people inside a culture of people he finds himself in danger of missing the point of leading Jesus’ people. If we are to be leading people, what make us different than a civic organization?
The church can’t simply be for the maintenance of morality because, frankly, there are some people outside of the church who are more moral than some pastors I know. They just have never tasted the transformation of the Gospel. General revelation has brought about a moral code that is fine just not enough to save. So, surely there is more to shepherding Jesus’ people than the maintenance of good behavior.
What are we to guard? What is our teaching supposed to point toward? What is the larger and grand mission we are to lead people toward? Here is a hint: it might get us killed. It is not safe at all. It is costly both in terms of finances and blood. It requires a different goal in church budgeting. It defies passing the buck to other groups. It requires personal engagement. Please post some comments on what Paul and Peter are assuming we know from following Jesus.
Theology in the Dirt 
If we’re following Jesus we’re approaching our time on this earth as He did His (John 6:38). Said another way, we’re here to do the will of our Father, not our own. These are works He’s ordained for us to accomplish (Eph 2:10) in accordance with His will that we can discern by the Holy Spirit through the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2). I believe pastor must have a clear view of the mission and all else is done in light of that mission. He must take his flock in the exact same direction. Jesus had small “skirmishes” on the way to Calvary as we will between now and the day we die. Those skirmishes must be smaller battles making up the overall war winning strategy. I believe the pastor helps to guard against battles that don’t serve the war (i.e. Christianity as a political movement).
LikeLike
If we’re following Jesus we’re approaching our time on this earth as He did His (John 6:38). Said another way, we’re here to do the will of our Father, not our own. These are works He’s ordained for us to accomplish (Eph 2:10) in accordance with His will that we can discern by the Holy Spirit through the renewing of our minds (Rom 12:2). I believe a pastor must have a clear view of the mission and all else is done in light of that mission. He must take his flock in the exact same direction. Jesus had small “skirmishes” on the way to Calvary as we will between now and the day we die. Those skirmishes must be smaller battles making up the overall war winning strategy. I believe the pastor helps to guard against battles that don’t serve the war (i.e. Christianity as a political movement).
LikeLike
The Short answer is make and take every opportunity I can to open and teach the Word.
All other duties are specified to people with specific gifts or are for all Christians to fulfill.
Longer answer:
Philosophy of Ministry
For me as an Elder;
To preach and teach the word of God, making disciples for Christ.
2 Timothy
2:1 You then, my child, be strengthened by the grace that is in Christ Jesus, 2 and what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. 3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
To the members of the church;
3:14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom [1] you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God [2] may be competent, equipped for every good work.
4:1 I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom.
To those who are lost;
4:5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
LikeLike
Brothers, I do find it concerning when there is such an emphasis right now to be culturally relevant. For 2 reasons; 1)We are called to the 1 culture of being like Christ, with all our different ethnic, experiential backgrounds being part of that too. So Revelation, the 1 culture of being before the throne of the Lamb, but there being people from every tribe tongue and ethnos.
2) As much as I love brother Mark Driscoll, he is going to become the very thing that he is trying to avoid, which is to be stuck in Mars Hill’s own cultural identity, that is no longer contemporary to the world around it, but instead stuck in its own self developed identity. In other words, it will at some point look dated, because it will no longer continue to be relevant to the culture of 20 years time, it’ll be stuck in the Mars Hill of the 2000’s.
For us as Pastors and for those people God has given to us, we become all things to all men in order to have the opportunity of preaching/teaching the word and as we build the people into being in harmony with the 1 culture of being Christ like, we will be different from any culture we are found in, and in most cases, face the threat of death from one a Christ culture offends the worlds culture, no matter which world culture we are in.
LikeLike
Well said John. Was listening to Dr. Sproul the other day speaking on the dangers of syncretism. It was a threat in the 1st century and it is still a threat in the 21st century. The church isn’t “engaging” the culture…the culture is ensnaring the church. (I am talking about the visible church of course).
LikeLike