Put on your imagination hat for a moment and ponder this sad circumstance, imagine if…

Your pastor (or elder[1]):

• Habitually failed to show up at services he was meant to preach at (leaving the chapel with no back up preacher!);
• Felt not the need to attend services when he wasn’t preacher or leading;
• Mis-planned his week so he was out so late on Saturday night he was too tired to come into the Lord’s house on Sunday morning;
• Approached his duties with half-hearted drudgery rather than with delight and care;
• Didn’t show the zeal to go above and beyond in ministerial duties;
• Was negligent in attending weekly Bible study (skipping out even when he was scheduled to lead!);
• Never read the Bible or prayed outside of church events;
• Didn’t observe the Lord’s Day on holidays, or visit another church when not preaching at his own;
• Often skipped prayer meetings or was absent at other important chapel meetings; or
• Was one person in the pulpit and someone completely different out of it.

I would imagine they would either be rebuked or removed from their position and worse still, have their Christian character called into question. The consequences are not imaginary. This is the scrutiny a pastor is placed under in life by the Church and by the Lord (who sees and knows all things).

But what if…these same principles were applied to your walk with the Lord?

While elders and pastors are called to a higher level of responsibility and accountability, they share with all Christians the calling to conform to Christ’s standard of perfection, obedience and service.

Don’t neglect to meet together as is the habit of some, but encourage one another, all the more as you see the Day drawing near. ~Hebrew 10:25

The Lord’s Sweetest Blessings,

Pastor Chris

[1] Or you might sub in another position of Christian leadership or service paid or voluntary.