Exercise

FOR PASTORS: List the top 10 things you do as a Pastor. And choose the top 3
that you believe to be the most crucial to your ministry.
(FOR NON-PASTORS): List the top 10 things you think a Pastor should do, and
choose the top 3 most important.

METAPHOR #1: Biblical Metaphor

Pastor as __________________________________
The Church is seen as _________________________________

God is our Shepherd

In the Old Testament, God is always portrayed as the Shepherd of his people,
while his people are portrayed as the sheep under his care.

Shepherd / Sheep Motiff

Hebrew “rohee” (shepherd); “tsown” (sheep)
Greek “poimen” (shepherd) ; “probaton” (sheep)
As shepherd of his people, he leads, cares, protects and corrects his people.

God is Shepherd; We are sheep

In the Old Testament, God is clearly portrayed as the Shepherd of his chosen
people Israel.

Psalm 23:1; Isaiah 40:11; Psalm 95:7

Jesus as our Shepherd

In the New Testament, Jesus is clearly portrayed as our Shepherd.
And just like God in the Old Testament, He too leads us, cares for us, protects us,
corrects us, and even lays down his life for us. He has compassion on his people
who are like sheep without a shepherd. He knows his sheep by name and
searches for his lost sheep until they are found.

John 10:11, 14, 16; Matthew 9:36

1 Peter 2:25; 1 Peter 5:4; Hebrews 13:20

Pastors as Shepherds
From the earliest times, the pastoral ministry has always been compared to the
work of shepherds. This is because pastoral ministry is but an extension of the
ministry of Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

Ephesians 4:11; John 21:16; 1 Peter 5:2; Acts 20:28

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METAPHOR #2: Medical Metaphor
Pastor as ________________________________________________
Church is seen as a ______________________________________

Gregory of Nazianzus (329-390AD): Pastor’s primary function is to be the

“physician of souls”. As the doctor is for the body, so the pastor is for the soul.

1 Peter 5:7; John 21:16

1 Peter 5:2; 1 Thessalonians 2:7

INNER HEALING
Takes from the field of psychology; Holistic approach to ministry for spirit, soul
and body.
Pastoral care seeks to provide relief from sorrow brought about by sin and
shame

METAPHOR #3: Family Metaphor

Pastor as ____________________________________
Church is seen as God’s ______________________________

1 Corinthians 4:15; 1 Thessalonians 2:11

1 Timothy 3:5 &15; 3 John 4

METAPHOR #4: Religious Metaphor

Pastor as _________________________________________
Church is seen as a ______________________________

1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 3:12

1 Corinthians 16:9; Acts 17:7

METAPHOR #5: Academic Metaphor

Pastor as _________________________________
Church is seen as a _________________________________

Jesus was a Teacher (“Rabbi”). “teach them everything I taught you”.

Paul was a Teacher of the Law before Christ and became a Teacher of
Righteousness by faith in Christ.
2 Timothy 2:2; 1 Timothy 4:11,13

METAPHOR #6: Business Metaphor

Pastor as _______________________
Church is seen as a ____________________________________

Corporate Model
Takes from the field of Management and Leadership
The pastor is more of a visionary leader, administrator, organizer and media
mogul. Pastors = entrepreneurs; Churches = business organizations

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PASTOR AS EMPLOYEE OF “THE BOARD” He is a “hireling” who is at the mercy
of lay leaders.
PASTOR AS CEO. He’s the boss and everyone is at his mercy.

COMMUNITY CORPORATION
1 People Programs
2 Preach Product
3 Relationships Tasks
4 Ministry Money
5 Free Payment
6 Blessings Benefits
7 Salvation Systems
8 Compassion Competition
9 Process Performance
10 Nourishment Numbers
11 Intimacy Image
12 Organism Organization
13 Dedication Demands
14 Making Jesus famous Making the company famous
15 Please God Please Stockholders

IN SEARCH FOR A GUIDING METAPHOR

Acts 1:1-2

John Stott, on our continuing Jesus’ ministry

Our ministry is merely a continuation of ___________________________.

It’s His ministry and He merely invited us to join Him.

It’s not about us. It’s all about HIM!

- It’s his ________________.
- It’s his ________________.
- It’s his ________________.

Christian Ministry is….

not my asking Christ to join me in my ministry as I offer him to others, but rather
it is my joining with Him in his ongoing ministry as He offers himself to others
through me

Implications of this Understanding of Ministry

1) Changes the way we ______________ about ministry
From “Help me to be” to “More of you and less of me until there is All of you and
none of me.”
John 3:30

2) Increases my ______________ and ________________ in ministering to people

Jesus is really the one ministering to them THROUGH ME.
Mark 15:7

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 3) Relieves us of the _______________ of ministry
Ultimately, it’s His ministry, not ours.
John 15:1-16

Philippians 2:6-11

The Pattern of Christ’s Ministry (Philippians 2:6-11)

_____________________________ (v6-7)
God’s AFFIRMATION of Creation
By becoming human and even taking his glorified body back to heaven, he affirms
our worth as God’s highest creation.

______________________________ (v8)
God’s JUDGMENT on Creation
“The cross of Jesus is the death sentence upon the world”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

______________________________ (v9)
God’s PURPOSE for New Creation
By rising from the dead, Jesus shows that the old must die in order for a new one to
be born.

INCARNATION (Affirmation)
We must affirm the intrinsic value of every human as God’s creation in his image
and likeness
We must learn to identify with people’s joys and sorrows, triumphs and defeats,
successes and failures.

CRUCIFIXION (Judgment)
We must die to ourselves while urging others to do the same.

RESURRECTION (Purpose)
We must seek to bring about God’s new creation in people’s lives and
everywhere else in his creation

Jesus’ Threefold Ministry

____________________________ (Incarnation)
____________________________ (Crucifixion)
____________________________ (Resurrection)