Pastors and the Pasture

Pastors and the Pasture

Many dynamics are woven into the fabric of a church culture, but the most important is the aggelos, the senior leader of the church. People have great ideas on what a church should look like, but only One can infuse a leader with the wisdom needed for the church they shepherd. A wise master builder is of utmost value: a man who has deep callouses on his knees and a worn-out Bible he studies—a leader who touches God before he speaks to the people. Leaders are, in reality, gatekeepers for the local church culture.

George and I have moved quite a bit and finding a home church was always a challenge. Reading websites and visiting churches was just the beginning of each adventure. Noting the “What we believe” tab was followed by the “What we value,” and then the numerous visits before finding out the real dynamics of each church culture. Usually what is truly valued is quickly apparent, for it flows from the pulpit each service. Jesus said that out of the mouth flows the heart, so if prayer or the Presence of the Holy Spirit or community or the lost is valued, the leader will talk about it and it will be woven into the fabric of the church culture.

The senior leader determines what food is served at the Sunday banquet, but only in part; what food can be served is also determined by the maturity of the people seated at the table. Hebrews 5 states that the writer wanted to serve the Hebrew church steak, but the people could only digest milk. Their spiritual maturity determined their diet. However, a wise leader, the one with calloused knees, will not only see the current condition of the people, but will also see how to keep them (or get them) moving forward. It isn’t healthy when people continue to drink milk year after year. Neither is it healthy for people to be unchallenged in their spiritual walk with the Lord.

Years ago the Lord showed me a picture of a leader as they were teaching. The leader became a prism as the Holy Spirit moved through them when they taught. Each person listening was touched by a different color of the spectrum, as the Holy Spirit took the things of Jesus and revealed them to the people. The Holy Spirit, knowing each person, was able, through one message, to touch each person exactly where they were currently in their walk. But this type of message does not come from putting together a good message, it comes from revelation, from anointing—from the Holy Spirit. 

A leader who only speaks to people where they are at will never move people forward. People need to be challenged. People need vision. People need to hunger for more of God, His Kingdom, His ways, His Presence. As hunger is stirred, people themselves begin to feast throughout the weeks as they feed themselves. There is nothing more intensely valuable than a personal encounter with the living God. This is where vision from God is birthed. This is where spiritual maturity increases exponentially. This is where deep calls to deep. This is what we are created for.

George and I have had great teachers whose teachings were anointed systematic lessons and we have had an anointed leader who mostly shared his messages. One leader took his messages right out of the Thompson Chain in the back of the Bible—good message, no anointing. It was obvious which leaders spent time with the Lord.

A few weeks ago the Lord showed me a picture of a green house. Along with the picture was an understanding that the green house represented the church—my church, in particular. I understood, through the Holy Spirit’s revelation that the green house is a uniquely designed environment for optimum growth. However, everything within the green house must be brought in: the soil, sunlight, seeds, fertilizer, pots, water—everything. The door is tended by the leader(s) of the church, and whether or not they acknowledge it, whether passively or actively, they determine what comes into the green house.

Bottom line, senior pastors determine the pasture in the local church. An aggelos’ personal relationship with the Lord should spur people on to go after God, instead of giving them a nice padded cushion for their rump.

Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it. 

Psalm 127