Re: [Worship] Stop generalizing Preachers

["Worship Pastor" <worshippastor@home.com>]

Alex said:

The pastor is the Spiritual leader (shepherd) of the church,
and we are called to submit, not only to him but to Jesus, who
we claim to worship.

---

Alex,

I don't disagree with you.  One of the biggest problems in our
culture is people's unwillingness to submit to authority.  To
submit means to have a sub-mission.  That is, to have a mission
underneath a mission.  Here is where I find the words in the
NIV that are derived from the word submit:

---

Christians to Government
Romans 13:1, 5

Women to Church
1 Corinthians 14:34
1 Timothy 2:11

Christians to Church
1 Corinthians 16:16

Christians to One Another
Ephesians 5:21

Wives to Husbands
Ephesians 5:22
Ephesians 5:24
Colossians 3:16
1 Peter 3:1
1 Peter 3:5

Church to Christ
Ephesians 5:24

Jesus to His Father
Hebrews 5:7

Christians to their Leaders
Hebrews 13:7

Christians to God
James 4:7
Hebrews 12:9

Christians to Every Authority Instituted Among Men
1 Peter 2:13

Slaves to Masters
1 Peter 2:18

Angels, Authorities, and Powers to Jesus
1 Peter 3:22

Young men to those older
1 Peter 5:5

---

Nowhere do we see a model where the Pastor is Not equally submitted
to other believers.  In fact, Ephesians 5:21 states that we are
to submit to one another.  In other words, everyone coming under
everyone elses mission - as we all come under the mission of
the Bridegroom.  This can only be acheived if we are unanimously
on our knees, broken before the Cross.

I have encountered in many churches the impulse to elevate the
shepherd to a role such as that of a king.  That is, one who
is only accountable to God.  I heard one pastor say, "Jesus is
our Senior Pastor.  I am not the Senior Pastor.  I am the Associate
Pastor."  This still seems one step away from a healthy church
government.

The Pastor is accountable to God, but the Pastor should also
be submitted to other members of the same said church that he
pastors.

There is much more to be said of this topic, but time does Not
permit.  Suffice it to say that in our age of unwillingness to
submit to authority, church members are not the only ones at
risk.  Pastors often find themselves mired in the temptations
that come with complete autonomy.

Maybe there are others that wish to shed more light on this topic.


In Him,

-Van


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