The Pastor in the Study
HELLO FRIENDS,
Martyn Lloyd-Jones said, “the work of preaching is the highest and the greatest and the most glorious calling to which anyone can ever be called.” We, as pastors, bear an enormous responsibility and an amazing privilege; We are tasked with the right handling of God’s Word. The life of a pastor orbits around Scripture. Much can be said about the refinement of a formal education and the abilities to research and deeply dive into the text, but today I want to urge you to do one simple step to enhance your ministry: dedicate more time in the study. Here are three reasons why more time in the study is a wise investment of your time:
A Powerful Expression of Love for Your Church
I’ve heard preaching compared to a chef preparing a gourmet meal. Preparing the ingredients is necessary to cooking. A great-tasting meal must include fresh herbs, vegetables, and meats. Each ingredient must be chopped, diced, and trimmed before the real cooking can begin. Preaching should not be haphazardly strewn together at the last minute. Rather, time must be put into the care of each ingredient of the sermon. What you give to them on a Sunday morning is not the raw ingredients or a recipe, but a finished meal, full of flavor and affection. The secret ingredient is just as mothers have said for generations: love. The time you invest in the study to prepare this meal is directly correlated to the love you have for your people—and they know it. Spend time on the sermon, don’t just microwave it. Spend time in the study, so the people you love will feel loved from the pulpit. Give them the Word of God in such a way they’ll be asking for seconds. You may have the communication skills to get away with little preparation, but your people deserve far better. Commit to giving them the best, not anything less. In this same analogy, give them a balanced and healthy meal. Spend time learning sermon craft to better provide for their needs (but that could be a topic for another time).
A Reverent Example for Your Flock and Family
Too often, our culture denigrates the Word of God to bumper sticker slogans and verse references scrawled across eye black. We need to elevate the Word of God in the lives of our congregation and family. The task of “rightly dividing the word of truth” must be met with a reverence for Scripture. Our members and our children need to know the time we invest in the Word of God is time well spent. As a father of four young children, I want to be known for my devotion to Christ. I want them to see me in the Word at home and in the study. They should know I am serious about the deeper truth of God. Hopefully, this example will naturally spur them on towards seeking those truths for themselves one day. Your flock and family will see your investment and marvel at the Word of God with reverence. You are teaching a powerful lesson through the act of studying. Also, how can you proclaim Christ, if you are not bowing down to his lordship in your daily life?
A Formative Experience for Shepherding and Evangelizing
A false dichotomy in ministry is the study versus the field. The thought persists, if you are in the study, then you are neglecting shepherding your people or evangelizing the lost. All these tasks are critical to pastoring and all must be done in appropriate measure. However, the motivation of shepherding and evangelizing comes from a deeper knowledge of the God we serve. Time in the study should never be seen as competition to the shepherding and evangelizing of a pastor; rather, it enhances those tasks. In your study you learn how to best “equip the saints for the work of ministry.” Time in the study prepares you to better in your shepherding, especially through the dark times your people experience, and to better point to the Savior whom you intimately spend hours with each day.
Surely, you’ve heard your church members talk about the lack of time in their life to dedicate to studying the Word of God deeply. Pastors shouldn’t have the same problem since the Word is central to our craft. We have such privilege to delve so deeply into Scripture. Don’t take this opportunity for granted. As Paul mentions to Ephesus, we should be “making the most of the time.” Whole books can be written on this subject, but for you, my dear pastor-friends, commit to spending a few more of those hours in the study. Your faithfulness in the study will lead to immense blessing in your ministry. Give them good food from the pulpit; feed the flock.
Jamie Trascritti
Pastor | First Baptist Church of Newtown