“Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.” (Hebrews 13:17)
As a Pastor of local churches, I will stand before the “Judgment Seat of Christ” when I leave this life. Jesus, the Good Shepherd will ask this “under-shepherd” of the sheep “to give an account for what I did with the church members He had given me to pastor.” (Romans 14:10-12)
“But Lord”, I’ll cry, “who were they?”
There are 310,000,000+ souls in America. 7,000,000,000 souls on the planet. For which of those men, women, boys and girls are the pastor and deacons responsible? If you are a follower of Christ, which local church has the Holy Spirit charged and anointed to care for you and your family? How can we know who we should shepherd unless you tell us? How can we know if you won’t “join our fellowship”?
Christian Husband? Wife? Dad? Mom? Son? Daughter? Have you submitted your life to a local church? You, too, will stand before the Judgement Seat of Christ and give an account for what you did with the family over which you had stewardship responsibility. What will the Great Good Shepherd of the Sheep say to you when He asks to which under shepherd did you submit? “Well done?” or “Not done?” (Mt. 25:21,23)
POST SCRIPT TO “MEGA CHURCH”/”VIDEO CHURCH” PASTORS… How well are you covering and caring for those sheep who might call you their “Pastor”? Have you ever heard of the Greek word “koinonia”. It means the Christ centered, Bible based and Holy Spirit led fellowship of Christian believers and is mentioned more than 17 times in the New Testament. How many times has it been mentioned in your “church”?