Here is a shocking statistic: Every month 1500 pastors leave the ministry. Some leave for moral failure, others for spiritual burnout or contention in their churches.
Now here is a thought: Are you the kind of Christian or church member that contributes to the 1,500 staying or leaving?
Are you the church member who is a joy to have in the church or are you the church member that the pastor is thankful to see move their membership?
I believe this is precisely what Hebrews 13.17 is describing when the author describes some who are a joy to lead and others are just the opposite.
Members who are contentious don’t want to be led.
It is critical that Christians find an under-shepherd that they can submit to under God's headship of their lives. But everyone needs a local shepherd to submit to as described in Hebrews 13.17.
Just as the Son submitted to the authority of the Father without losing His identity and individuality; likewise, church members submit to the leadership of spiritual shepherds in the church.
And when members find themselves un-reconciled with their pastor, God’s will is not for them to become instruments to run the pastor out of the ministry. God takes care of that.
If it be God’s will, they will often disqualify themselves. 50 a day, 2 an hour, every 30 minutes another pastor throws in the towel.
Are you helping increase, maintain or lower that number? That’s the question of this posting. Christians who lower that number are commended by the Apostle Paul. People who increase that number are rebuked by the same author.
