Hello all, sorry there haven’t been any posts for a while. There has been lots going on. The one thing that I want to focus on is a quick post from Scripture on how we are to cope with the loss of a pastor.
Sometimes, we tend to get comfortable in following a human leader, whoever that leader might be. We place high trust in that leader and then one day, that leader might not be there anymore. Maybe we expected it, maybe we had no clue. But how do we respond? By keeping our focus on Jesus Christ.
The Corinthian church was dealing with a similar situation. The church had just been officially formed after the day of Pentecost, and the big names were teaching. Paul, Peter and Apollos were all major teachers and were teaching great things. But in the midst of their teaching, the Corinthian church started placing their trust in the men, rather than in the Man they were teaching about. Divisions began happening and Paul felt it necessary to encourage and challenge the church to unity.
“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgement. For I have been informed concerning you, my brethren, by Chloe’s people, that there are quarrels among you. Now I mean this, that each one of you is saying, “I am of Paul,” and “I of Apollos” and “I of Cephas (Peter),” and “I of Christ.” Has Christ been divided? Paul was not crucified for you, was he? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?” 1 Corinthians 1:10-13
In this difficult time of a loss of a pastor, we need to be careful that we do not fall into this trap that Paul is talking about. We need to make sure that our foundation and trust is in Jesus Christ and His Word. As Paul goes on to say later in chapter 3:
“For when one says, “I am of Paul,” and another, “I am of Apollos,” are you not mere men? What then is Apollos? And what is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, even as the Lord gave oppurtunity to every one. I planted, Apollos watered, but God was causing the growth. So then neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but God who causes the growth….For we are God’s fellow workers; you are God’s field, God’s buliding. According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Corinthians 3:4-7; 9-11.
As we go through a time of transition, let us remember that our foundation is always Jesus Christ.