Pray for More Workers (Matthew 9:35-38)
Gary McManus, 10/10/2021Part of the Prayer series, preached at a Sunday Morning service
October 10, 2021 Matthew 9:35-38
This is Pastor Appreciation Month.
Pastor Appreciation IS Biblical.
Always remember that:
1 Timothy 5:17: The elders who direct the affairs
of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
(NIV). Also: 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
Why consider Pastor McManus’ retirement now;
it won’t happen ‘til mid 2024?!
Two reasons:
--Jesus prepared the disciples for his own leave taking
TWICE! (crucifixion and ascension, Acts 1)
--Pastor’s friend said—long term Pastor;
give ample room/time for leave taking.
Challenges to finding and calling a new Pastor:
--America no longer the land of plenty
--all kinds of personnel shortages in other professions
Isn’t our Lord calling enough people to minister
to churches? Maybe and maybe some are not
listening for the call or are too distracted to hear.
It is happening in all churches in the U.S.
Many congregations all want the same Pastor
profile. That can’t work for everyone.
A Seminary graduate has special needs.
There are some positives:
from pastoralcareinc.com/statistics
PASTORS feel that our Lord is answering prayers.
So, what CAN be done?
PRAY. . .Matthew 9:38 (KJV).
Where was Jesus going to find more workers
for God’s mission? Jesus appeals to God, the Father
for more workers. And Jesus instructs US to pray. . .
DCC may have to get creative like other institutions:
--bonus signing pay
--incentive pay
--guaranteed income for ____ years followed by
--pay increase incentives
Why do churches have to get creative in their thinking?
The answer to our prayers may not be what
you were expecting. Jesus wasn’t the Messiah
many were expecting.
It IS possible to get exactly what you want
(and think DCC needs).
Two other “outside of the box” ways
to find, hire, and keep a Lead Pastor at DCC.
--an old Methodist system
--churches united
Also . . .campus churches; same church, different campuses.
Have you experienced those? Pastor has.
Businesses have been acquiring businesses for decades.
What if some church organization made an offer for DCC?
American Church in the 21st century not
the church in the 20th Century.
Even the work is not all the same.
Remember: we can’t be sure how Jesus our Lord will
ANSWER our prayers for a new Lead Pastor
Faith responds to a crisis by turning to the Lord.
Faith should also allow us to see a bigger picture
than the one you have in your mind.
You may begin praying at any time. Amen.
Earlier: | Same day: | Later: |
---|---|---|
« One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism | None | Don't Hire a Celebrity Pastor » |