Though there are a lot of pastors doing positive
things in our world today, I’m fearful that some are failing to do the most
important thing—the one primary thing that God has called them to do in His
Word. In 1 Corinthians 4:1, Paul tells
us that Christian leaders are called by God to be faithful stewards of His
word.
The key word in this verse is of course the word steward. If
you have ever flown on a commercial airplane, you know what a steward
does. He/she is the one who doles out
information about the aircraft. They also
inform the passengers about policies and procedures in case of an emergency and
hand out food and drinks during the
flight.
But though a flight attendant or steward has access
to these things, he/she owns nothing that is dispensed on the airplane. The company owns it. All the steward does is take what has
been given to them, and pass it on.
Christian leaders have a similar responsibility—they
are God’s stewards. God gifts and entrusts
them with what is His and calls for them to pass it out without fail. So though the job description for a pastor
maybe endless and differ depending upon who you talk to, the primary role of
the pastor—the primary focus of a Christian leader is found right here in 4:1. Their primary role is to study and know and
properly and accurately communicate the Word of God. Take a moment to evaluate your own life. If this is God’s primary concern for His leaders, how are you doing in these areas as His children? Do you study God’s Word? Do you apply it? Do you deliver it? My prayer for you is that you would get serious about His Word and be a faithful steward of it.
