KEY SCRIPTURE:1Ti 3:6 KJV” Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.”

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A pastor should not be a novice. This means he should not be a recent convert to Christ. The scriptures related him to satan who was taken over with pride and so was condemned. A pastor is a leader or one who takes oversight of others. A man who has not appreciated the fact that position does not mean superiority  over others, but a role  God calls one to play for the smooth running of His body. Every mature person knows that each person in the body has his or her role and none is  superior to the others. It is the same Lord working through every one of us. A novice would easily fall for such deception and the trap of the enemy. Pride corrupts so much and leads to lots of foolish decisions.

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When the Israelites came to King Rehoboam, son of King Solomon, to lighten their yoke, yet  he said the following  words to them 1Ki 12:11 KJV “, And now whereas my father did lade you with a heavy yoke, I will add to your yoke: “my father hath chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions.” The novice king lost all the tribes of Israel but one. When a novice is a pastor, he would make such foolish decisions, and the church may lose most of its members. Another reason why the pastor should not  be a novice is how to handle sensitive matters among the members. Many people have left churches because the pastors could not wisely handle their sensitive matters. Such matters require lots of wisdom coming from similar cases which the pastor might have handled in the past. This is what experience brings to the table. Now, let’s know that old age does not mean maturity.IF he fails to make use of the scriptures that apply to various matters. Heb 5:12 KJV “For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat.” The scripture says such people, although they might have aged, are spiritual novices.

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In light of the above, a pastor should  first be one who has lived in the word of God. Heb 5:14 KJV” But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”As the scripture says, such a one has been a word practitioner, and so his senses have developed such that he easily knows right from wrong. He fully knows that Christian leaders are servants of the people and not the Lord’s. Joh 13:14 KJV “If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet.” The master himself put off his garment and washed the disciple’s feet, counselling that the servant is not greater than his master. If the master has washed the disciples’ feet, then every leader or pastor needs that servant attitude to be a leader of God’s people.

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THOUGHT:IT TAKES MATURITY TO BE A SERVANT LEADER.

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FURTHER STUDIES

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Joh 13:4-5 KJV” He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. After that, he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.”

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Mat 18:4 KJV” Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”

[2/19, 12:56 AM] S.A: SIMPLE TRUTH