God established a structure through which the Holy Spirit works in our lives to build us (the church). Ephesians 4:11-12: So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12: to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up. Christians are not to be willfully independent of a local church. Rather, believers gather in a place to worsh ip together as well as serve one another. As God commands us to gather in a physical building or space, he also commands us to be led by men called and qualified as pastors.
Hence you need a pastor to:
1. Shepherd you. The Scripture tells us that pastors are called to shepherd God’s people in various local churches until Jesus returns. 1 Peter 5:2-3: Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; 3: not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. The calling of the pastor is to protect, care and guide you the way a Shepherd does to his flock.
2. Bring God's word to you. This is perhaps the first and most important reason you need a pastor. Christ himself commanded them to be heralds of God's Word. It is the responsibility of pastors to deliver and expound God's word to members of the body of Christ, this includes you. God reveals his will for you to be saved and to grow in grace through your pastor (Acts 20:32, John 20:31).
3. Encourages you in your walk with Christ. You need a pastor to h
elp you in your Christian walk. Your pastor is one of the most important people good places in your life to encourage you along the way to our final destination: that glorious city whose builder and maker is God (Ephesians 6:21, 22, Colossians 4:8).
4. Equips you to do the work of ministry. It is often the mindset of many believers that pastors are the ones who should be concerned with the ministry of reconciling men to God. However, this is the responsibility of every believer; a pastor helps train and equip you to do this work effectively (Ephesians 4:12).
You need a pastor who will function as a shepherd to protect you; feed you with God's word; lead you by modeling godly character; and care for you, so that you do not fail in the face of life's temptations and trials (Acts 20:28).
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