God first called me to the ministry in the spring of 1985. He sealed it for me on July 4, 1985 at the Pineywoods Baptist Encampment. I knew He called me to preach. People often asked me early on what I would do. Would I be a pastor, youth pastor, or evangelist? I did not know. All I knew was God called me preach. Over the years I have served as a youth pastor, pastor, church planter and an evangelist.
Many people see me as an evangelist or revivalist more than a pastor. It is not hard to see why. I often preach hard fiery messages. I am content to spend hours alone in prayer, reading, and Bible study rather than working a crowd of people.
Yet, I have felt a call and desire to serve as a pastor. Over the past couple of decades I have discovered there is much more to being a pastor than preaching. A true pastor is a great shepherd. This is something I have worked hard at. I have found some of the most meaningful moments in ministry did not happen behind a pulpit but rather in a hospital room or in a living room.
Today, I ministered to a grieving husband who just lost his wife. He is a very connected man. He knows a lot of preachers. Many of them are very successful. Some serve in some of the largest churches. When his wife died I thought he would contact one of them to do the main part of the service.
When I mentioned this to him at his home he gave me one of the greatest compliments of my entire life. He said, "You are my pastor." What a tremendous blessing that statement proved to be. Yes, I love preaching. Preaching is one of the things I think God put me on this earth to do. Yet shepherding the flock is my calling. Shepherding people touches them deeper than any sermon. People forget what I preach. They remember when the pastor shows up in their time of crisis and walks the road of suffering with them. Charles Roberts and Bob Harper modeled the life of a shepherd for me. I learned from their example. They loved their flock and made themselves available to them. I am grateful for God brining those two men into my life.
Tonight I am also grateful to have heard four simple words. You. Are. My. Pastor. I am humbled tonight by the powerful words from a grieving man to this fiery prophet who longs to be a faithful pastor. [I Pet 5:2]
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