Submitting to your Pastor or your Pastor Submitting to you?

This is much injustice in religious circles of today, much as it was in the time of Jesus. The Pharisees looked righteous outwardly, but inwardly they were wicked, ravenous wolves. They only cared about gain (how much money they could make) and how they could look more godly in the eyes of others.

I'm sure if you looked at them, you probably would have thought they were truly holy. They probably would have said things like, "I'm so blessed of God, just look at all I have that God has given me!" And, "I do so much for the Lord, just look at how spiritual I am because I do that!"

And, you probably would have believed them that it was indeed God that gave them all they had for their service to him. However, the truth is they were schemers and deceivers who enriched themselves by taking advantage of God’s people. Just look at what Jesus said to them in Matthew 23:

10 Neither be ye called masters: for one is your Master, even Christ.

11 But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.

12 And whosoever shall exalt himself shall be abased; and he that shall humble himself shall be exalted.

13 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in.

14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows' houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.

Even though they looked spiritual outwardly, they could not fool the Lord. And if you could have seen them inwardly, as Jesus did, you would have seen a greatly different picture than what they tried to present to others, as they were completely eaten up with avarice and greed, which lead to their bitterness, hatred and malice towards Jesus Christ.

And, if you were to look at their fruit, you would find that their religion was all LIES, as they were the ones who crucified the Lord. They would not submit to him or his rule, even though he was their God--Their Messiah. It's because they wanted to have the rule over man, and they wanted to run things their way instead of God's way. The priests desire was for the people to submit to them so they could get the fame and fortune. It was all about they themselves, and not about Jesus.

How different a picture is painted in the New Testament of those called Pastors. Jesus did not say they were to be Masters, rather "Ministers." That is one who "ministers" to others. A Pastor, then is not to be like the Phariseeical priests but rather is to be a Compassionate Preacher. And he is not to Lord over his congregation, or milk them for money. The Bible is very clear about this in 1 Peter 5:

1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed:

2 Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;

3 Neither as being lords over God's heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.

But are all Pastors today like this? Sadly, they are not. Many brow-beat their congregations and command them to submit to them, just like the Pharisees of old did to the people of Israel. Often they preach so hard on tithing, faith promise, mission giving, etc., that you would swear that’s the only message they know to preach. (Not that there is anything wrong with giving money to God. But people should do so because they love Jesus, not because they are pressured or made to feel guilty if they don’t).

Of course the Bible does tell us to submits ourselves to our spiritual leaders in Hebrews 13:17, which reads:

“Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.”

But notice this is spiritual submission, and it is submitting to a man who cares about you and watches for your souls, not so that he might profit, but so that you might be profitable unto the Lord.

This verse also states that a Pastor will one day give account of himself to God for how he treats you. I wonder if those Pastors of today that are spiritual dictators or little Popes who use their power to manipulate their congregations for their own profit ever think about this. They will have to give account to God for their actions!

In Matthew 20:25-28 we read:

"But Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many."

Here is a command from the Lord for a Pastor NOT to exercise “dominion” over his people, but rather to MINISTER unto them as a servant. The Pastor, then, should submit to his people to be there for them and help them, take care of them, pray with them, talk with them, etc., in their time of need.

1 Timothy 5:17 tells us plainly how a Pastor or a Minister is supposed to rule his congregation: "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine. "

Pastors should always point people to the scriptures, and tell others what the word of God says. And they should follow the word of God themselves, especially when it tells them how they should behave. 1 Peter 4:8-11 commands:

And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth: that God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

It’s easy to tell if a man is a good Pastor or not by whether or not he points people to the scriptures and glorifies God, or if he only gives his opinion and uplifts himself. If he is continually telling his congregation to follow him instead of follow God then he’s most likely a sorry excuse for a Pastor.

And the truth is you don’t have to submit to such a man, especially if such a man is not willing to submit to God, and submit to you in ministering to you.

This is an important doctrine, as it’s common today to hear about “Pastoral Authority” abuse in which Pastors use their positions of power to control their people, manipulate them, and make them do their will.

You mark it down, if a person is in a church, but he can’t do something because he says, “My Pastor won’t let me do that,” then HE IS IN A CULT!

A true Pastor is someone who will talk to you, and be willing to open the word of God and tell you what it says. He will not tell you what to do, but he will encourage you to do what God says, and he will exhort you to do it because God said it.

So, does the congregation submit to the Pastor, or does the Pastor submit to his people? How would you answer that question? Think about it for a second. How would you answer? Stop reading right here and right now. Don’t read any further. Close your eyes and answer that question to yourself.

How did you answer it? If you only said a congregation should submit to their Pastor, you are wrong! If you answered only that a Pastor should submit to his congregation you are also wrong. The truth of the matter is that both should submit to each other!

The congregation should submit to the Pastor in allowing him to preach to them God’s word, and they should heed it from his lips. And the Pastor should be willing to be available for his people, prepared in knowing what to tell them (Col. 4:6) always ready to give them an answer from the scriptures (1 Peter 3:15),

If you are in a church where you Pastor only preaches that you must submit to him, but he never preaches about how he is supposed to be your minister, your servant, submitting to help your spiritual needs, then you just might be in a CULT! And you need to get out. Don’t worry about what the Pastor says, for many who preach submission to them, will usually say things like, “You’re out of God’s will unless you obey me!” Or “You’ll be out of God’s protection unless you submit to your Pastor!”

But the truth is, God didn’t say that that man had to be your Pastor. You have a choice to choose the man you want to be your Pastor. And you can pick up and leave at anytime and find another church, especially if you feel the man who claims to be your Pastor is trying to control your life, and tell you what to do.

Submission works both ways in the Pastor – Congregation relationship. It’s not to be like the Priests of old that through fear and intimidation coerced the people into believing they had to be under their authority and obey them or else God would destroy them. THEY were the ones God destroyed, and the ones Jesus preached against when he came. For, they were only interested in power and money, and theu used their positions of authority for ungodly gain. If your Pastor does the same, SHAME ON HIM! If he doesn’t, and is a great man of God who loves you, prays for you, and is there for you 24/7, then you ought to get down on your knees that THANK GOD! For you really have something to rejoice about!