One task pastors must not neglect
“Follow the pattern of the sound words that you have heard from me, in the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. By the Holy Spirit who dwells within us, guard the good deposit entrusted to you.”(2 Tim. 1:13-14)
The Apostle Paul commanded Timothy to guard the good deposit which was entrusted to him. The good deposit is the sound words (the doctrines) that Paul has handed down to Timothy. This is the calling of every pastor. We are called to guard the truth of God’s Word as we seek to shepherd the flock among us (1 Pet. 5:2). Since this command is a primary responsibility of every pastor, the question becomes, “How do we accomplish this task?” There are numerous ways we can be obedient in this, but I want to offer three suggestions.
Guard the Truth in Preaching
We lift high the authority and sufficiency of Scripture when we give ourselves to the regular preaching of God’s Word. We proclaim the Word of God because the Word is the means God has ordained for our sanctification.
Paul tells Timothy, “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
We lift high the authority and sufficiency of Scripture when we faithfully preach the Word of God and apply it to the lives of our people. All Scripture is God-breathed. Therefore, we must proclaim all of Scripture. May our preaching indicate that we possess the belief that both testaments of God’s Word are authoritative and sufficient. Proclaim the Gospel. Don’t assume it.
Guard the Truth in Musical Worship
Gordon Fee once said, “Show me a church’s songs, and I’ll show you their theology.”
Our music matters. The songs we choose to sing as a body on the Lord’s Day should be designed to teach and reinforce biblical truths concerning the Godhead. The Word must be central in all that we do when we gather together to worship the Lord.
Pastor, your congregants are more likely to remember the words to songs they heard many years ago than they are to recite your sermon points from three weeks ago. The lyrics we sing can have a profound impact on the way we view God, and we are commanded to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth (John 4:24).
Guard the Truth in Membership
The way we relate to members (prospective and current) is important. According to the 2000 Baptist Faith and Message, “A New Testament church of the Lord Jesus Christ is an autonomous local congregation of baptized believers, associated by covenant in the faith and fellowship of the Gospel.”
We must be diligent in guarding the truth in receiving new members, making sure that they (1) are believers in Jesus Christ and (2) agree with the church’s doctrinal statement/confession. Paul warns the Ephesian elders when he said, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.” (Acts 20:29) We must be diligent in guarding the truth with what is being taught from within the body of Christ.
As shepherds, we must protect the sheep and fight off the wolves, even if they appear among our people. May we feed our body a steady diet of sound doctrine so that they never hunger for false teaching.
Pastor, one day you will stand before God and give an account for the way in which you lead the flock entrusted to you. I pray, on that day, you will hear words similar to the word spoken by Christ our Savior to the church in Philadelphia, “I know that you have but little power, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.” (Rev. 3:9)
May we be faithful in guarding the good deposit which has been entrusted to us. Press on, dear brother, press on.
Josh Chambers is the lead pastor of Pleasant Street Baptist Church in Worcester, MA. He blogs regularly at https://thereformedlife.net. You can follow him on Instagram @jchambers5 and on Twitter @josh_chambers5.