Pastors: Be Shepherds, Not Sheep
Dr. Tom Blackaby
Blackaby Ministries International
These are disconcerting times among God’s people. Whereas there seems to be a much greater effort for inter-denominational (read Kingdom) work between churches today and whereas churches are in many cases for the first time implementing strategies for reaching the lost and impacting their communities, there is one glaring issue that is troubling. As I travel from state to state and city to city seeking to encourage and inspire God’s people to know Him, His ways, and His agenda for their life, I have observed that a growing number of pastors across the country have been spiritually neutralized. They may be preaching each week and spending time in personal and private devotion, but it is almost as though they have unknowingly slipped from their role as shepherds and have become sheep. They appear to be wandering with their congregations, seeking a direction and focus instead of leading their people to be involved in the activities and ministries God has ordained for their churches.
Instead of leading their people to find the heart and mind of God for their own congregations, some pastors seek to copy other “more successful” congregations that have blown past the norm, set new standards, and developed innovative approaches for reaching their communities. These churches have successfully marketed their strategies, and multiple thousands of other churches around the world have bought into their techniques and methodologies. We love to buy other people’s techniques because it means we don’t actually have to come up with our own. We don’t have to do the hard work of going before the Lord on bended knee or going without to fast and pray to seek the heart and mind of our Master. We can open a book or watch a DVD and, poof! There it is already prepared for us!
It seems too many pastors have given up their role as shepherds and have become sheep, looking to other more “successful” shepherds for direction. Why are pastors settling for second-hand visions for their congregations? Why will pastors gladly place internet orders from other shepherds in order to feed their churches with pre-packaged meals?
God said to His people, “And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer. 3:15). The simple reality is that many pastors are seeking God’s heart in a book or online rather than in His Word, through prayer, or by spending unhurried time alone with God seeking His heart.
The staggering amount of sermon material posted on the World Wide Web has become regular fodder for sermons all across our land and around the world. People are being given second-hand visions from mega churches, and second-hand sermons God gave to other messengers. Pastors have become sheep, giving their congregations the leftovers of what God provided other shepherds for their sheep. The words may be the same when they are re-preached, but the Spirit is missing.
Oswald Chambers, in My Utmost for His Highest says, “Many a Christian worker has left Jesus Christ alone and gone into work from a sense of duty, or from a sense of need arising out of his own particular discernment. The reason for this is the absence of the resurrection life of Jesus. The soul has got out of intimate contact with God by leaning to its own religious understanding. We have put a sense of duty on the throne instead of the resurrection life of Jesus” (Feb 28, p. 59).
When the children of Israel were to gather the wilderness manna, they were instructed that each one should gather for themselves; none should be left over, none should be hoarded. Some pastors are no longer gathering for themselves; they are buying leftover manna from others and offering stale sermons and moldy insight to their people that cannot satisfy their longings for living water and the bread of life.
Pastors are content to obtain their relationship with God from devotional books and ancient readings rather than searching out God for themselves in His Word or seeking Him in times of extended prayers. “And you shall seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart” (Jer. 29:13). It seems few pastors have the heart that seeks God as demonstrated by our Lord, “For Jesus, in the days of His flesh, when He had offered up prayers and supplications with strong cryings and tears to Him who was able to save Him from death, and was heard in that He feared” (Heb. 5:7, KJV).
“We need to rely on the resurrection life of Jesus much deeper down than we do, to get into the habit of steadily referring everything back to Him; instead of this we make our common-sense decisions and ask God to bless them. He cannot…” (Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest).
We cannot bring our congregations into the presence of God if we have not found our own way there first. We cannot show them someone else’s roadmap; it must come from within. That is why God has placed us where He has, to be transparent maps for our people so they can follow us into the presence of God. “Truth is truth” they say, “it doesn’t matter where it comes from.” However, Noah’s instructions wouldn’t do very well for Moses. Joshua’s instructions concerning Jericho would not have been relevant for David against Goliath. James and John recommended Elijah’s Mount Carmel experience to Jesus for dealing with obstinate Samaritans, but He rejected it (Luke 9). We must stop living off other people’s burning bushes and blinding lights and find our own intimacy with God in life-changing encounters.
Religious leaders of the day cloaked themselves in ritual and tradition and held to the laws passed down by their forefathers. Christ came and tore the veil in two, saying all who will enter may now come directly into the presence of the Most Holy. But we are not making the effort to regularly go beyond the veil into the Holy of Holies; we are stopping by the wayside at the tourist booth to purchase trinkets and postcards of what others saw when they were there, and then bringing them back to our churches to pass off as our own. We deliver second-hand visions, second-hand messages. Our people want so desperately to see that sparkle in the eyes of the pastor, the glow on his face, those tell-tale signs that he “has been with the Lord”. They are no longer content with technique, presentation, or video-enhanced 3-D sermons. They want a fresh word from the Lord, the words of life, the living water, the moving of the Spirit from their shepherd.
Pastors are (for the most part) paid to serve the Lord. We are remunerated to be spiritual for our people. What a joy! People actually paying us to spend time with God! So why do we not take advantage of that opportunity? It can mean life or death for our churches, and the many churches who are struggling and dying have been longing to hear the words of life, a fresh wind of the Spirit from their pulpits for years. They are sheep without a shepherd.
I believe pastors are content to be sheep for the following reasons:
1. Many pastors have not seen a model of a God-seeking pastor in their formative years. There are generations of people who have been content with second-hand messages and vision by consensus. That is all they know. When they read an exciting message from other pastors, they want their people to hear it. But they do not realize they are able to access the same information, the same truth, the same life-changing encounters with God themselves in His Word. These pastors truly believe that tried and true techniques, pre-printed messages and second-hand encounters with God are adequate for their sheep. Some sermons are so full of other people’s quotes there is little evidence the pastor actually developed any of it himself. They are content to defer spiritual responsibility to those higher in authority over them for the welfare of the sheep. They are sheep leading sheep.
2. Some pastors see their ministry as a job that they get paid for, rather than a calling from Christ. Some pastors refuse to be any more accountable to Christ than the average church member. They have abdicated their role as spiritual leader, as shepherd, as a steward of the lives of those God has placed under their care. So they have professional hours, professional salary packages, professional development, and career advancement plans. They have forgotten they are accountable to God first and people second. Pastoring is not for the weak-hearted or the lazy. It requires great burdens be carried, hours needed for sleep to be given up for prayer, and many sacrifices to be made in order to adequately care for the sheep in your charge. A pastor, properly executing his responsibilities, could never be adequately compensated by any salary package or earthly remuneration. The Good Shepherd possesses to give as He sees fit.
3. Some pastors have succumbed to the pressures of their congregation to look like all the other churches. Just as the people of Israel rejected Samuel and sought for a king to lead them, so too have churches pursued CEO’s, executive pastors, and such leaders to look like every other “successful” organization. Pastors have believed the flattery and the adulations of their congregants who seek to be proud of their organization rather than faithful to their Lord’s commands. Endowment funds, spacious facilities, high-tech performances, and state of the art equipment equals success, while the heart and mind of the Lord remains neglected.
4. Pastors simply do not have the time, nor do they particularly want to pay the price personally to seek the Lord. Why spend two or three days alone in prayer and fasting before the Lord, seeking His will and His ways, when you can borrow a vision from a book that God gave someone else after they prayed and fasted? The modern culture calls for “McVision”—“find it quick, make it slick,” and implement it before the ink on the last vision poster is barely dry. The average pastor prays so little today that it is embarrassing to even record the minutes. All study is related to the upcoming sermon rather than to seeking the heart and mind of the Master. In contrast, the early church in Acts saw fit to employ deacons to relieve the Apostles of extraneous activities that drew them away from spending time with God and ministering the word to the people. Too many pastors’ day planners are stuffed with extraneous responsibilities and distracting expectations from their people. Purge the calendar, cut out the distractions, come regularly before the throne of grace, and your people will be transformed by what God will do through you.
Congregations everywhere plead for pastors
- who anguish over their sermons to ensure their people hear from God,
- who plead before the Lord on behalf of their congregations,
- who spend unhurried and adequate time getting to know the Lord personally, and
- who will do what it takes for the Holy Spirit to give a fresh word for their congregations.
A congregation, a flock of sheep, wants to be loved, cared for, and prayed over. But more, they want their shepherd to have spent time with the Good Shepherd, learning at His feet, listening to His voice, and following His ways as he cares for the sheep. This is not an indictment against pastors; it is a call for every pastor to reclaim his or her rightful position as shepherd of the sheep, as a spiritual leader accountable to God Himself, and as a good steward of the lives and the charge given into his or her care by the Lord Jesus Christ.
Moses writes, “But if you shall seek Jehovah your God from there, you shall find Him, if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul. When you are in trouble and when all these things have found you in the latter days, then you shall return to Jehovah your God and shall be obedient to His voice” (Deut. 4:29-30).
To lead a congregation into the presence of God, a pastor must first have spent much time there oneself. Pastors do not discover how to experience God’s presence together with their people; they go ahead of them into the Holy of Holies and then bring their congregations to the mountain to see the burning bush for themselves. Once we know the mind of God from having spent extended time with Him, we can lead our people to know the heart and mind of God and to identify His activity all around us. Once we have sensitized our own eyes to see things from a kingdom mindset, then we can help remove the scales from our people’s eyes to see the wonderful things God has in store for them. There simply are no shortcuts in ministry. There are no quick fixes for character issues, no instant solutions for powerless ministries or visionless churches. It may not appear wise to put a full stop on the calendar of activities in order for the church to spend unhurried time before their Lord and Master, but not to do so may gut the essence right out of the terms “Lord” and “Master.” These are not mere titles we assign to Christ; they are descriptions of our relationship to Him. He is the Lord; therefore, we are under His authority. He is the Master; therefore, we are His servants. Let us not charge ahead on our own volition waving our own agendas and going under our own power using our own resources, never coming into His presence to seek His commands for us. That is insurrection!
To bring our people into the presence of God is to elevate our opinion of God to its rightful place, and to present our people under His banner determined to stay put until have clearly heard Him speak. If we are not spending time as a congregation to pray, we are not seeking the will of our Lord. “We pray,” you say. “The men pray, the women pray, the singles pray, the teenagers pray, our seniors pray, and our staff prays.” But are you seeking the heart and mind of God together as a congregation or are all your groups off on their own agendas submitting their shopping lists to God for Him to fill at His leisure? In Biblical history, something amazing always happened when God’s people all came together before Him to seek His will, to worship, to pray, and to submit to His authority over them. Few churches today ever plan for this to happen. Most say this is impractical. But what they are really saying is that it is not necessary to seek Him because they already have their three-year plan marked out on their calendar with what they intend for God to do. The church staff designs the plan and presents it to the congregation, but the people of God have never been given the opportunity to seek the Lord together as His body. It is a dangerous thing to let God’s people come together to seek Him. It may wreak havoc on your long-range plans!
I suggest that the Lordship of Christ is more than a spiritual acknowledgement we make at conversion; it is a practical application of our relationship with Him in all aspects of church life. The Lordship of Christ implies He has an agenda for our church and our ministry, but it is our duty and privilege to spend the time it takes in His presence for Him to reveal it to us. This does not happen in our answering-machine message prayers. It happens when we seek Him with all of our heart, all of our soul, all of our mind, and all of our strength. Perhaps that is why Christ listed this as the greatest commandment! To do so acknowledges our complete dependence upon God for everything; our vision, our sermons, our agendas, and our very existence as His people.
It is time to turn pastors who are “reasonable facsimiles” into real shepherds of the sheep who have scouted out the land, who have found the best fields, who have located the fresh waters and the luscious grasses and the cool shade for the heat of the day. These pastors have planned out their routes, taken into consideration the weather patterns and ever-present dangers, and their sheep trust them and love them because of it.
“And I will give you shepherds according to My heart, who shall feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer. 3:15). The only way to know God’s heart, the only way to feed your sheep with knowledge, understanding, and with the way, the truth and the life, is to spend time in God’s presence, seek Him out regularly and deliberately, and not let anything distract you from this pursuit. For if you don’t, the entire flock will be in jeopardy of starving to death and being picked off one by one by our adversary who continuously prowls on weak and defenseless sheep.
Dr. Tom Blackaby serves as the Director of International Ministries for Blackaby Ministries International. He is the second son of Henry and Marilynn Blackaby. Tom has co-authored several books with his father Henry including: The Man God Uses, Anointed to Be God’s Servants: Lessons from the Life of Paul and His Companions, and The Blackaby Study Bible.
You are invited to participate in a SermonCentral teleconference with the Blackaby's on the topic of Encounters with God.
Comments
April 12, 2008
36. Dr. Ezra Aniebue says...
Praise the LORD! Psalms 150. This article is telling every pastor what the WORD, the Bible, already said. 2Timothy 2:15.
March 26, 2008
35. Lewis Whittington says...
An excellent sermon and very thought provoking. It (as the saying goes) lit my fire. It gave cause for me to re-evaluate the way I approach preparing and being prepaired to preach God's precious Word. It helped me!!! I would like to respectfully add these thoughts. For a number of years, like so many other pastors I have been Bi-vocational. In the balance of my family, job, church work and preparing to preach three times a week I found the help I got from other dear pastors who didn't mind sharing their messages to be invaluable. All the pastors I know want to be prepared to feed our flocks in excellence for Gods glory. It is a high calling, in fact I believe the highest. I have relied on others insight on the scriptures and it's application to be invaluable. Many times it was the difference of being able to spend time with my family. I'm not suggesting taking the easy road or of being lazy. But it is the reality of the time constraints we face on a daily basis. Now that my children are grown I cherish the extra time I have to spend alone with God and His Word. Thank you Tom for your timely and challenging words of wisdom.
March 26, 2008
34. Mike Cleveland says...
I personally was very challenged with this writing, and don't feel as if he were barring the study of others. J.I. Packer described this as Isaac "reopening the wells" that his father had dug. All pastors are like John the Baptist in the sense of being "the friend of the bridegroom", and all pastors should emulate him in the 3 areas of his life: 1. Commend Christ to the people. 2. Wait and listen for God's voice, whether that comes through prayer, fasting, studying, alone times, etc. 3. Bring the joy of the Word to the people of God. John 3:27-30 (NIV) 27 To this John replied, "A man can receive only what is given him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, 'I am not the Christ but am sent ahead of him.' 29 The bride belongs to the bridegroom. The friend who attends the bridegroom waits and listens for him, and is full of joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. That joy is mine, and it is now complete. 30 He must become greater; I must become less. 4. OK a fourth point :). Try to get the heck out of the way of the Spirit of God's work (I must become less, He must become greater).
March 26, 2008
33. Grady Miller says...
Oh, I'm sorry, I was so busy filling my shopping cart on Blackaby's web site I didn't catch, "The staggering amount of sermon material posted on the World Wide Web has become regular fodder for sermons all across our land and around the world. People are being given second-hand visions from mega churches, and second-hand sermons God gave to other messengers. Pastors have become sheep, giving their congregations the leftovers of what God provided other shepherds for their sheep. The words may be the same when they are re-preached, but the Spirit is missing." in his article. He has some "meat" in what he says but also a lot of "stuff" gleaned from surveys taken on pastors and churches. I have little use for the "talk the talk and buy my book" types. By the way, Oswald Chambers is one of my favorite authors.
March 25, 2008
32. Rev. Stanley Madigan says...
I personally enjoyed the insight provided by this article, but would also like to throw in a word of caution. I think it is important not to throw out the baby with the bath water. My personal way of using sites like Sermon Central, is to improve on a theme that has been made real to me in my study and prayer time. I think it is unreasonable to forget that we are living in an age when there are so many demands on our time that it is indeed difficult to totally separate oneself like the apostles were able to do in the early church. Given that consideration, sites like sermon central can provide invaluable additional insight to enhance what we do not to be a substitue or quick fix. In a perfect world, Mr. Blackaby's insights would for the most part, stand the test of truth, but the world i live in isn't perfect. Thanks for the article, it has certainly challenged me to find ways of allocating more time to study.
March 25, 2008
31. Felipe Rodriguez says...
Few month ago I had to preach a sermon on repentance. I found a sermon by David Wilkinson in the net. I was so bless by it that I asked the Lord if I could preach that sermon at my church. The following sunday the Lord used a sister in church who didn't know anything about my dilema and said: "preached it, is my word, is my word" So 4 weeks later I preached that sermon and was of great blessing. So, I believe that we have to have an open mind and heart to know when is appropieted to use a sermon God gave someone else. We have to remember that He is building HIS church and HE is coming for ONE church, therefore; HE will use any means necessary to made sure everybody is in the same page.
March 25, 2008
30. Tim Walker says...
I found Blackaby's article very challenging and agree wholeheartedly that we need to seek the heart of God. After reading most of the comments, I think many of us missed on of his key points, that is to seek God's heart not only for ourselves to shepherd the congregation God has given to us, but to seek his heart as to what he would have us to say to them...what they need. Using the resouces that ar available to us is a gift, but not one to use just to produce another message. Many of those who contribute to Sermon Central help me to clarify what I beleive God is saying through hsi word and they give me some great ideas as to how to present God's Word in a clear way. Thanks for the challenge Tom
March 25, 2008
29. Dennis Hilken says...
Much appreciated the article and posts. The one note I would add ... at a Rick Warren conference he made the point, "I have people!" i.e. his church, Saddleback (Willow, Grainger, et al) has the resources to research and study and create what a smaller congregation could never take the time to learn re trends, demographics, etc. My opinion: learn from all resources then pray-study-apply-personalize it to your cong.
March 25, 2008
28. Mark Smith says...
Brother Blackaby has thrown out a challenge that is well to consider. Am I relying on another's spiritual strength to feed the sheep God has entrusted to my care?! Throughout the journey of spiritual formation each pastor undertakes there are demands to read and process the work and teachings of those who have preceded; as Blackaby himself demonstrates in drawing from Oswald Chamber's well. There are many Godly men pastoring churches who have for years taken the 'High road' and waited upon God and stained their Bible with tears. They look to see fruit from their labours. It can be just too easy to become critical of those who are bearing fruit, calling it the 'Low road' if it appears that many seek to follow their example. Elijah and Elisha had their company of prophets, Jesus his disciples and Paul counseled the believers to follow his example (Titus 2:7-9.) Every denomination is the following of some Spiritual pioneer. If I can hear God’s voice echoed in brother Blackaby or in other’s who teach the Word, then I will weigh out the wheat and discard the chaff. I think 1Cor. 3:4-15 should be our counsel. It is not we who will be the final judge in these maters but Christ who is the Great Shepherd.
March 25, 2008
27. Keith Stevens says...
Tom, I hear your concern of having cookie cutter Pastors and strongly agree with most of what you say in your article. However 1 area of concern to me with your article is the disregard you display for GOD'S word in indicating a pastor can be a man or a women, this line of thinking is clearly unbiblical (I Tim 3:1-2). With the need to be careful with generalizations and not quilty of selling or providing the very things you condemn the article is great. I've been guilty of being the sheep instead of the shepherd and have had to repent of that to my master. Thanks for the insight but be careful not to put everything in the same box.
March 25, 2008
26. John Baker says...
I guess I find this whole article rather funny. Yes, it is convicting and all pastors should be hard at work seeking God through prayer and his word. Yes, we should be going directly to God for our conviction but as he says exactly that, what is this article then but another way for shepherds to be sheep? (Does anyone else see the humor or irony in this?) We read this looking for God and His conviction upon our lives and apparently I would assume that is exactly what Blackaby was after too as he wrote this. Shucks, just reading the posts following the article points strongly to this fact that this article has taken the place of God’s word – how many folks spent as much time reading God’s word today as they did reading this article and responding to it? If we are truly only to go to God and his word as a shepherd then we should not be moved by an article like this. I guess the truth would be that God uses many sources, in many venues to touch our hearts and stirringly bring us to Him. I firmly believe prayer and Bible study should be our primary modes to approach God, but to limit other sources is foolish and dangerous. I would love to have Mr. Blackaby respond to some of these posts. I challenged one of my professors in college who claimed the same concepts but then turned around and sold his sermons complete with manuscripts, overhead outlines, and bulletin inserts to anyone willing to pony up the money. How can good preachers state in good conscious to preach your own materials and then turn around and profit off of the demand for pre-written materials? I guess I just don’t get it!
March 25, 2008
25. Todd Baker says...
I thought this was an excellent article and very timely. I have been convicted, challenged, and encouraged. I only have one person I need to emulate to succeed - that's Christ! I hope that those who are fussing over Blackaby's statements about second-hand sermons and visions haven't missed his point. He wasn't trying to dis resources such as this site and he certainly wasn't critiquing the NT apostles for quoting the great men of the OT (get real), he was simply making the point that so many people are missing - we will always be weak until we are strong in Christ and that only comes through time with Him and His Word. John Newton replied to a friend who was asking for "rules" to be guided by. Newton said, "You have the word of grace, the throne of grace, and the Spirit of Grace" Those are really all we need, everything else is meant to augment them. Obviously we believe in the power of sermons and preaching - that's why we do it. But I never expect my preaching to replace my people's personal time with God, rather it is meant to direct people to God. Thank you so much Sermon Central for sharing this article with us.
March 25, 2008
24. Paul DiGregorio says...
It's interesting to me to read this article on a web site that lists hundreds of sermons for others to access and even charges a fee to obtain even more.
March 25, 2008
23. Howard Turner says...
Just an old country boy here but I remember reading somewhere that there is nothing new under the sun. So anyone who believes what they preach as God's Word should be new, exciting, and refreshing had better take a second look. The story that Paul preached, that John preached, and that every other follower of Christ has ever preached had better be the same...Christ crucified, buried, and risen. I don't still travel by horse and I sure don't still deliver God's Word the same way I heard it as a child. BUT I still deliver the SAME WORD. What did Jesus'disciple mean when he said he would become all things to all people in order that some might be saved. I bet he was willing to use someone's method if it meant folks would come to know Jesus. Mr. Blackaby's overall assessment that we have become an instant society certainly has a degree of merit, but to paint with such a broad brush concerns me. It also concerns me that he can so quickly speak on this issue while being careful to be politically correct and adding "her" to the pastor's role of shepherds. This old shepherd is going to continue using every resource God places in my path to keep telling the same "Old Story of Jesus and His love." Because as I see it...God's Word is still new, exciting, and refreshing every time I hear it. As a young and frighten man that God had called into His service the most encouraging word I received came from the foreword on a book of someone's else sermons, it said "Never preach anything new, because there is nothing new to preach, feel free to memorize my sermons and deliver them anywhere anytime God gives you the opportunity." Guys it's still the same old story and I sure hope its all right to use the wisdom gleaned by someone God spoke to long ago.
March 25, 2008
22. Michael Lum says...
Challenging...thank you for addressing our "hidden motives" for ministry. Not every minister is a "pastor" (elder, bishop, etc..from the Greek); but we are all called to Pastoral roles with the flock...speak up, lead, give direction, hope, comfort, offering healing presence. Shepherding in our culture is being a relational spiritual leader--which is what God was (OT & NT). Let's all strive to keep our focus on SPIRITUAL things and set the pace for our church families!
March 25, 2008
21. R. Wayne Hagerman says...
Good article, great thoughts, but...but, if he is right, then I shouldn't even be reading this, nor should I read his books or anything else. Further, quoting the Old Testament to back up one's theology on Pastoral Shepherding just won't wash...sorry. It's a New Testament calling. Further, I guess Jesus quoting all those Old Testament passages was just wrong too. Do you get my point? Lazy Pastors who don't know or who just don't want to be good shepherds...yes, they are out there, but most of this article is just sloppy generalizing with bad theology. Sorry! Guess I shouldn't even be reading this website either!
March 25, 2008
20. Jimmy Dillon says...
HUMBLING! There is so much truth here to be sifted through that it will take some time to digest it all. My heart's desire as a pastor is to love and lead the sheep. Sometimes we take for granted the position to which God has placed us and need a good kick in the behind side to remind us. Thanks taking the time to share with us! I needed it!
March 25, 2008
19. Robert Cholette says...
Great Article! The church knows when we have been with Jesus and they do long to have a word given to them birthed in the heart of God Himself. There is no place that I find greater fulfillment in my calling.
March 24, 2008
18. BEATRIZ VAZQUEZ says...
PASTOR > GRACIAS POR ESTE MENSAJE QUISIERA PEDIR ALGO NO SE MUY BIEN INGLES PODRIAN MANDARLOS EN ESPANOL POR FAVOR
March 24, 2008
17. Michael Karpf says...
An article like this is LONG OVERDUE. Yes, there is no lack of material on the internet, and I'm glad resources like Sermon Central are available. But in preparing a message, the first place we need to be is at the feet of Jesus, like Mary in Luke 18:41,42. The second place we need to be is prayerfully before God with the Bible text and only the Bible text (that's where I start). And we need to spend our time there prayerfully studying the passage to understand what it says. (I have found Bible Works 7 an excellent piece of software). Then we need to prayerfully put it into words that will minister to ourselves first and our listeners second. All this is in prayerful dependance on the Holy Spirit. I'm all for resources like Sermon Central and commentaries. But too often we start here when, in my opinion these need to be secondary resources. Instead of spending time on Sermon Central perusing other messages on your passage, how about perusing God's word first and the resources second. God has placed many gifted teachers and expositors in the body of Christ and we would do well to learn from them. I'm happy to put my sermons on Sermon Central and you can plagiarize them all you want, as far as I'm concerned. You'll answer to God for that, not to me. The motto of the seminary I graduated from is "Preach the Word." (2 Timothy 4:2). Spend time in God's presence first, study hard using all the resources available, but most of all spend time in the Word first. Then, Preach the Word!
March 24, 2008
16. Darrell Tery says...
This is great insight I agree with alot of what was said we should rely on God but Paul qouted old testament prophets and that was his commentary so I don't see that reading other people perspectives lessons the message. Blakaby certianly sells his books and we by them and share what we have learned from them but that's not to say that we don't rely on God! The one problem I had with this article is the mentioning of pastors as him or her. If these are blakaby words whose compromising. A woman should usurp authority over a man in teaching or preaching. I guess thats the sign of times. Oh isn't that whats being said about Pastors who use the internet, books, or commentaries for sermon preparation.
March 24, 2008
15. Mic Del says...
Great insight, and a timely coution. If only the churches would allow time for unhurried prayer and reflection. I am afraid the church boards would like to know what results all that time praying does for the chruch now.
March 24, 2008
14. Jojo Baldo says...
Thank you for the enlightening article. I am sure it comes from the heart of God to remind preachers to always seek to stand in the council of the LOrd (Jer23:18). But is there a way to balance this Mr. Blackaby? For you to suggest that looking at somebody else's preaching, and being inspired by it is to fall guilty of "receiving second hand vision...", let me just lovingly contend that God's voice and Spirit is ONE for all churches? Isn't this what we teach when we preach the "KINGDOM MENTALITY"? The temptation to go for novel, brand new, different things, might be the very same thing that will drive us away from the voice of God to the church..To reiterate, I am all for authentic study, taking unhurried time to listen to God and commune with the Holy Spirit... but I also am of the conviction that God can, and will use other people's work to communicate to me His timeless, boundless works..
March 24, 2008
13. victor lozana says...
I RECEIVED blackbay's insight with repentance. i was hit by the LOrd of that message. Thanks a lot Tom. keep up the glorious work!
March 24, 2008
12. Guy Fox says...
While I believe what Mr. Blackaby is saying, I think there is a difference between using sermons on a website as a resource and a "print and preach" approach to them. I'll bet Blackaby has used commentaries in his sermon preparations which is also someone elses take on the scriptures.
March 24, 2008
11. Ted Blair says...
Let me start by saying - good challenge, it is taken to heart. There is no excuse for good study, message preparation and vision casting from God to a pastor for his church. But it is a bit one sided and ironic that at Blackaby’s website you will find books, bible studies and sermon downloads. I guess that hearing God for yourself only applies to other resources. I personally find what God is saying and doing with other churches an inspiration and encouragement. Just as when we read the New Testament, we are reading the patterns and insight of early churches in various cities (i.e. Rome, Corinth, Philippi, Galatia, etc). As a pastor called to shepherd our unique vision and bring a personal message to our people; the ability to grow, learn, and be inspired by others is something I cherish deeply… including the powerful resources of Henry T. Blackaby.
March 24, 2008
10. Carl Willis says...
Seeking the Lord...what a novel concept!!!! How sad it is that we have allowed the tyranny of the urgent and the call of self-preservation to overtake the foundational truth that we must lay ourselves open before the Lord. This article further reinforced some issues that God has been burdening me with in my own context and sphere of influence.
March 24, 2008
9. TJ Conwell says...
Wow. 2 Tim 3:16 immediately comes to mind after reading this. This article has challenged (read:rebuked) me in ways that I not only needed right now in my ministry; but in ways that I could not explain what/how I was lacking in order to go an find it. This is extremely timely and necessary in my life, for application immediately. Thank you for sharing this.
March 24, 2008
8. Roy Lester says...
What an awesome article. I would like to get this into the hands and hearts of every preacher I know. Tom challenges and convicts me because I have at times slipped into ther use of stale food for my sheep. God help us to take to heart this tremedous word from His servant. I want power in my pulpit and there is no short cut for achieving power. We must put in the time with the Lord! Thanks Tom, I needed that!!
March 24, 2008
7. Jim Kilson says...
What a great article! I think that this is something that every Pastor, regardless of area of ministry (youth, outreach, evangelism, preaching) should read and take to heart. Tom is right on when he says that the only way for us to know God’s heart, and to adequately feed those who we have been called to lead with knowledge, understanding of the Word of God, is to spend time in God’s presence! We as pastors should never settle for second hand visions, but all too often many do, this is a wakeup call to all in ministry. Cruising on autopilot will not lead to effective ministry, settling for others work will not lead to effective ministry. Spending personal time with God is an imperative, and I know I struggle with it as much as any other pastor does, but it’s at the heart of what we as pastors are called to do. Thank you Tom for this timely reminder!
March 24, 2008
6. Jerome Gay says...
Ouch! That hurt, but in a good way. I needed to hear that in some cases I'm guilty because it's hard to stay focussed when you see others growing fast and you know that God is NOT calling you to do everything you see others churches doing. This really spoke directly to whre I am as a pastor and I thank that Backaby family for all of their contributions to the Body of Christ. I refuse to second guess or question what God' is speaking and I am committed to making time and not settling. PRaise God!!!
March 24, 2008
5. steve bloem says...
This sermon is long over due. I am going to email it to three of my pastor friends. Rev. Blackaby has a message that needs to go deep into the American evangelical church. Oh that men would seek the Lord. Oh that pastors would shepherd the sheep, and tend the lambs as our Lord Jesus Christ explained it to Peter. Steve Bloem Heartfelt Ministries Grand Rapids, Michigan
March 24, 2008
4. Greggory Lanzen says...
Thank You for your appropriate challenge Dr. Blackaby! My heart was challenged. I know that I have been tempted in the past to use the "easy way" out by downloading and simply preaching a message from the internet. This happens when I've had an unusually busy week, or I've been ill for several days and unable to study. But in each situation the Holy Spirit convicts me and I have yield ed to study and prepare my own message. Having admitted that though, I must also agree with what I believe is the intent of Daniel McBride's comment. I believe that the internet full of good resource material. Often as I've studied I've come to a mental block on how to approach or illustrate a passage of scripture. Online organizations like SermonCentral.com give me a place where I can read and download other men's work which helps me think through, outline or illustrate the passage. I think there is a place for allowing what others have done, to help us in our study. After all, isn't that really what Commentaries and Handbooks are? They are the studied insights and thoughts of other men printed so we can use their expertise and research to help us prepare effective and applicable messages. Yes, we need to be focused, study hard and lead our people with messages the Holy Spirit gives to us, but I believe there is also a place for us to read and grow through the work other men have done on the same passages. I'm thankful for the technology that allows me to study using the work of other men on internet sites like SermonCentral.com.
March 24, 2008
3. Fred Frazier Jr says...
I am a Youth Pastor and I am personally taking these words to heart. Spending time with God (praying, fasting, reading HIS word and whole heartedly seeking his face) are the key aspects in a ministers personal growth. I know that I will be a better Youth Pastor and someday a Pastor who has a Heart of God! Thank you for reminding me seek God before I begin to set my agenda!
March 24, 2008
1. daniel mcbride says...
Right on! I received Blackaby's insights as a personal challenge. One word of caution: never minimize how the Holy Spirit provides effective strategies of ministry through those in the Body of Christ who have the gift of leadership. I'm certain that the Apostle Paul hoped that some of the methods that he found effective in establishing early congregations would be put to use in other settings.
