GRACE ABOUNDING – 29
March 27, 2006
The Four P’s of Ministry
by Pastor Billy Park
This is the second of a series of articles that I will write on helpful acrostics or acronyms.
I learn this one from Mark Dever in his book, The Deliberate Church. The four P’s are for pastors, so please give this article to your pastor. It will also be helpful for you to understand what is at the heart of pastoral ministry.
The heart of the pastoral ministry is to preach, pray, develop personal relationships and be patient.
Preaching – Mark Dever says in his book that he’d be happy to see every aspect of his public ministry failed if it needed to… expect for the preaching of God’s Word. God’s Word has always been God’s chosen instrument to create, convict, convert, and conform His people. From the first pronouncement of the Gospel in Genesis 3:15, to the call and promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:1-3, to the giving of the Ten Commandments at Mt. Sinai, to the reform under Josiah in 2 Kings 22-23, to the revival under Nehemiah and Ezra, to the dry bones coming to life in Ezekiel 37, to the New Testament preaching of the gospel by the Apostles, it was God’s Word that was the instrument to create His people. God’s Word is His supernatural power to accomplish His supernatural work in His people. That is why preaching of God’s Word is primary and not innovative programs or contemporary styles of worship or anything else. The pastor needs to put his best effort in faithful preaching of God’s Word. The pastor’s role is to the feed the sheep and not to amuse the goats. What the sheep need is God’s Word. Encourage your pastor by thanking him for laboring at the preaching of God’s Word.
Praying – In Acts 6, the apostles selected deacons to help with the ministry of mercy so that they could devote themselves “to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” Prayer and preaching are integrally inter-twined. Faithful preaching of God’s Word cannot be done without prayerful study. B.B. Warfield, the great old-Princeton theologian, was once confronted by someone who said, “Ten minutes on my knees is more valuable than ten hours studying theology!” Warfield responded, “What! More than ten hours of studying theology on your knees?” Praying, studying, preparing a message cannot be separated. But we are not only to be praying for the message, but praying for the people. The pastor needs to spend quality time praying for the maturity of the members, the conversion of those outside the faith, the mission of the church, and for himself and his family.
Personal Relationships – The pastor should be intentional about developing relationships with the people in his church and with people in his community. It has been said, “People don’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.”
Patience – Lastly, the pastor, as all Christians, need to be patient. Spiritual growth in people does not usually happen over night. The pastor should measure time in light of eternity, and measure success in light of faithfulness to God’s Word rather than on numbers (nickels and noses).
As I review this list, I am convicted that I have not always lived up to these four P’s. However, I repent and turn to God and ask Him to instill these four P’s in my ministry. pray that I will be faithful to preach God’s Word, to pray for God’s people, to love people, and to be patience to wait for God’s timing and God’s results. I hope your pastor will pursue these four P’s as well. Pray for your pastor today.
