Pastoring Is Not What You Think

By Elijah Oladimeji

Pastoring is not what most people think it is. If you hope to pastor a church, head a church unit, or answer God's call to service in capacity in Christian ministry, this book might offer some real insights.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Mar 7, 2018
• ISBN: 9781948282666

Book preview

Himself

Chapter 1

Give and it Shall Be Given

In Church of All Grace, the choir has just stepped up to the altar to start singing Amazing Grace, Pastor Job’s favorite song. The song was sung almost in all services, and was known by almost everybody, including the children. Pastor Job was on his knees, praying, as was his practice.

The organist had started playing the song, as the choir leader and members joined in, as well as the rest of the church. Pastor Job got up slowly, making his way to the altar.

God is going to bless someone here today, Pastor Job starts.

Amen, the church choruses.

God is going to bless someone here today, okay?

A few people got up to their feet, shouting, Hallelujah! and Amen.

"On my way to the service this morning, I heard the Lord clearly say to me, Blessing. I know that word is for someone. If the word is for you, shout hallelujah!" Pastor Job says.

Hallelujah! the congregation replies. The entire church was now on its feet, some shouting, and some screaming.

If you believe, you will not leave this place the same, shout Hallelujah!

"Amen!"

Lord, I ask that you speak to your people today, touch, heal, save unto the utmost. Do something new in every life. Heal those who are hurting, provide for those who lack, meet every need in the house, oh Lord, let your word bring light and revelation this day, oh God, in Jesus name we pray with thanksgiving. Amen, Pastor Job prays.

"God’s blessing is not because of what we do, it is because of who He is, praise God. Today, I am going to be speaking on a familiar topic: the blessing of the Lord. The blessing of the Lord, Proverbs 22:10 in the King James Bible, states the blessings of the Lord makes rich and does not add sorrow with it. The New International Version says that the blessings of the Lord bring wealth without painful toil for it. Too many of us work too hard just to get by. Too many of us do two or three jobs just to put food on the table. Too many of us barely have time for family because we are working. Many of our members hardly attend church because they are too busy working. We are too busy to pray, too busy to praise, too busy for God. You need to be careful of a job that puts your relationship with God at risk. You need to be careful of a job that puts your family at risk. You need to be careful of a job that makes it hard to spend time with your children. We have heard it many times, that hard work does not kill. But I want to put it to you that hard work can kill slowly. It can create cracks in faith that the enemy can use to cause you to stumble. It can create a crack that puts you and your family at risk.

"The blessings of the Lord makes rich and does not add sorrow with it. No sorrow, no pain. It is God’s will that we prosper. As John said in 3 John 2 of the New King James Version, ‘Beloved, I wish above all things that we may prosper and be in good health even as your soul prospers.’ The New International Version of the Bible says it this way, ‘Dear friend, I pray that you may enjoy good health and that all may go well with you, even as your soul is getting along well.’ Prosperity of the spirit, soul, and body…God wants you to prosper, he wants you to be in good health, he wants your soul to prosper. Prosper inside and outside, all around and all over. Hallelujah. God’s grace brings health, it brings wealth, and it brings all good things.

Frequently, the way it happens is that when people are rich, they are without faith, and when people have faith, they are without wealth. 3 John 2 makes it clear: I want you to prosper; I want you to be in good health. With prosperity, you can enjoy good health, with good health, you can enjoy prosperity. God’s will is a package of health and wealth, and He wants this for you more than anything else. Let us suppose for a minute that you have wealth, but do not have health, you will not be able to do much for Christ or the cause of Christ. Most of your dreams to help widows, and orphans, give drinks to those who thirst, will remain unfulfilled. Most of your dreams to help the needy, help in a significant way will remain unfulfilled. God’s will is that you have health and wealth and everything you need to flourish and to prosper. Somebody shout Halleluiah!

Hallelujah! cried the church.

"I know there are some here who have problems with the prosperity message. Anytime the pastor mentions money, they get turned off. They think the church is a business with the pastor ripping off members. It’s okay to have doubts. It’s okay to have concerns. When I was younger, I used to have doubts too. I used to wonder, where does all this money go? But as I walked closer with God, I realized church is not about money. It is about God’s love. Several years ago, I decided to go for God’s love. I decided to enjoy God’s goodness. So, if you are at that point in your life where you question giving, tithing, offering, and the like, it’s okay. My prayer is that you get to a point where you know that all that God has, and all that He is, is for you. And not a cent given to God is lost. No labor in the cause of the kingdom is wasted. God is able, willing, and actually eager to reward your giving or any act of faith. You can obey God’s word that calls for tithes and offering, or you can listen to the opinions of men or listen to yourself that giving is not biblical. God has a plan of peace for you. My prayer and hope is that you key in to that plan.

For some, when the church is rich, it’s a problem. When the church is poor, it’s a problem. When the church is neither rich nor poor, it’s a problem. Guess what? I have set myself free from the opinion of people. I will not live my faith by the opinion of a faithless person. I have decided not to worry about those things anymore. Many question the prosperity message. Good. By the way, how many of you want poverty messages as opposed to prosperity messages? How many want sickness messages, as opposed to healing messages? How many want failure messages, as opposed to success messages? If you want a bondage message, as opposed to freedom in Christ, please raise your hand. No one raises their hand. If you want to possess your possession, shout hallelujah. The whole church shouted,