Daily writing prompt

If you had a freeway billboard, what would it say?

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Be “led by the Spirit.” (Romans 8:14) Let “Christ in you,” (Colossians 1:27) the Great Shepherd of the sheep,” (Hebrews 13:20) be your pastor.

According to the Bible, pastors are not individuals who head up Sunday services (Ephesians 4:11). Jesus is “the Good Shepherd” (pastor) who knows His sheep and they know Him. (John 10:14) Jesus is the only Head of the gathered body of Christ. (Ephesians 5:23)

Pastors (the meaning of the Greek word is “shepherds”) are people who function, along with 4 other groups of people — apostles, prophets, evangelists, and teachers (Ephesians 4:11-12). Together they are supposed to train, equip, and build up Christ-followers so they can all minister to one another and grow “to become in every respect the mature body of Him who is the Head, that is, Christ.” (Ephesians 4:15)

Those functions are not official offices that are limited to just one person in each group. If you aren’t identifying one person as your apostle, your prophet, your evangelist, and your teacher, then perhaps you shouldn’t identify one person as your pastor.

According to the Bible, all Christians (1 Corinthians 12:7) are empowered to function with various gifts to the body of Christ as “the Spirit distributes them,” (1 Corinthians 12:4) under the plural oversight of people functioning as elders, overseers, apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, and teachers who should train all believers to daily depend on, rely on, and obey the only Head in the Body of Christ — the living, resurrected Jesus. This results in Spirit-led worship gatherings that function according to 1 Corinthians 14:26 where “you can all prophesy in turn.” (1 Corinthians 14:31)

Take refuge in the living Lord Jesus Christ. Let Him deliver you. He wants to rescue you and to be your refuge, your rock, and your fortress. Let the risen Jesus ever lead and guide you from within. Trust in the Lord. Be glad and rejoice in His love. He sees your struggles and will not abandon you. Keep your focus always on Jesus so that you don’t abandon Him. May your heart always cry, “Abba, Father!”

According to the Bible, Jesus Christ (the great Shepherd of the sheep) is the only Senior Pastor. Jesus, Savior, I surrender my all to You. Lead me as my Lord; shepherd me as my Pastor! (If you won’t let Jesus be your pastor, you must not really believe that He is alive, present, and communicating to you.)