Ministrymaker Magazine

In Ephesians 3, Paul was incarcerated for the sake of the gentiles at Ephesus. He had been arrested and thrown in prison for preaching the gospel to the Ephesians, and other believers. Pastors battle many types of prisons for the sake of their people or congregation. These prisons range from very negative (those that hinder the pastor in their call), to those that are positive.

Paul said to the Ephesian believers, “For this cause, I Paul, the prisoner of Jesus Christ for you Gentiles…” and again, “wherefore I desire that you faint not at my tribulation for you which is your glory” (Ephesians 3:1 and 13 KJV).

Notice that Paul says he is the “prisoner of Jesus Christ” for their sake. He belongs to Jesus. All born again believers are the possession of Jesus Christ, purchased by His blood (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). But even more so are those He has called into His full-time service, which is the five fold ministry (Ephesians 4:11-16). We are Jesus’ prisoner for their sake, and not the other way around. We are not to be held prisoner to people’s will, but only to Jesus’.

Often well meaning people (that God has placed under our care) attempt to make us prisoners to their whims. We often go through things for their sake, but we are not to be their prisoners; we are not to be held captive by our people or the leaders of the church (board, Elders, Deacons, etc.). We must be directed by Jesus, and not by power hungry people. Otherwise, we can’t adequately be there for the congregation, and we become nothing more than a hireling.

We must be able to speak for God to the people corporately, as well as individually (2 Timothy 4:2-3 & Ephesians 4:15), while also receiving direction or vision from the Holy Spirit (Habakkuk 2:2-3 & Proverbs 29:18). Church leaders, back your pastors and let them do their job by allowing them to follow the vision God has given them.

Prisons Pastors frequently find themselves in…

The prison of burdens, pressure and stress. Being in the ministry can be a burden at times, and can be very stressful.

• Good pastors feel a burden for their people - their problems and spiritual well being. Paul said to the Romans,”I say the truth in Christ, I do not lie, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart” (Romans 9:1-2 KJV).
• Pastors are burdened by criticism and complaints. You don’t have to be in ministry very long before you experience this. The entire book of Numbers deals with the complaining of the children of Israel. There were times the complaining was so severe that Moses cried out to God, “I can’t bear the burden of this people”. In Acts 6, there arose a complaint when the Hellenistic Jews were left out in the distribution of food. This can be a continual source of pressure in the life of a minister. God condemns such actions through out the book of Numbers, and in the New Testament as well (Philippians 2:14). Although in most cases there seems to be no reason for complaints and criticism, God does use them at times. In the case of Acts 6, God used turmoil to cause the church to restructure things, to develop other leaders (the first deacons), and to enable the apostles to focus on the word and prayer, as they should have been doing all along.

The prison of spiritual battles. Every believer faces spiritual battles on a daily basis (Ephesians 6:12), but much more so the man or women of God. If the devil can knock out God’s servant, the people (congregation) will experience defeat as well. The pastor is like a general giving direction to the army in the mist of the battle. In 2 Kings 6, the Syrian army came after Elisha (the man of God) because he was giving revelation to Israel, God’s people.

The devil and all his host come after God’s servants, especially when they are giving His people fresh revelation form the Word of God. That’s why we should make sure a few things are done for our pastors regularly:

• Pray for our pastors constantly. Paul said we are to pray for those in positions of authority (1 Timothy 2:1-3). Your pastor needs your continual prayers. They are on the front lines of the battle for you. Pray and do spiritual warfare for them as often as you can.
• Encourage your pastor. Let your pastor(s) know you are behind them, and in full support of their vision. Know as soon as you tell your pastor you are behind him or her, the devil will hit you and try to get you to come against them. The very ones that cried out in praise to Jesus during His triumphant entry, days later cried “crucify him”! In Acts 14 the ones who tried to offer sacrifice to Paul and Silas as gods, when they wouldn’t allow them to, stoned Paul. Resist this type of attack with all that you have and stand behind your pastor in full support.
• Pastors should take regular vacations and get plenty of rest. Make it possible for your pastor and their mate to get away regularly. Every pastor needs a few good vacations each year, and at least a three day mini-trip every three to six months or so. There’s something about leaving the geographical area we minister in; it seems a heavy load lifts once we pass out of a certain geographical area. Take up an offering for your pastors before they go, and if possible, even pay for their hotel and travel expenses.

The prison of distractions. The enemy will continually attempt to distract the man or women of God from what they have been called to do. Here are a few things that can distract pastors:

• The distraction of busyness. The enemy will attempt to keep us busy with all kinds of things. Frequently, they seem to be important things, but are really only trivial distractions that God hasn’t called us to focus on. It was Martha who was distracted with all her preparation, while Mary sat at the Master’s feet listening to His words. Jesus said Mary had chosen the “good part” which would not be taken from her (Luke 10:38-42). The Apostles were feeding people instead of focusing on the Word and prayer. This is where the body, and more particularly the leaders of the church come in to play. Jump in and help your pastor. Find out what needs to be done and do it. Ask what you can do to help to relieve their burden. And pastors, don’t be afraid to let them help. Delegate!
• The distraction of having a secular job (being bi-vocational). I don’t believe it is God’s ultimate will for pastors to be forced to work two or more jobs. They should be free to dedicate themselves to the ministry so they can give their best. I understand there are times when it is necessary to work another job, but if possible, it should not be for very long. People always point to Paul and say that he made tents for a living. From my understanding of scripture, he only did so a couple of times for about a thirty day period — and then promptly went back to full-time ministry. In most cases, the church or it’s leaders won’t make the necessary financial commitment, or the pastor is afraid to take the step of faith to trust God and leave his secular job.
• The distraction of settling conflict. Often pastors are distracted by having to continually put out fires in the church. These “fires” usually come by way of people’s tongues. James said “the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity” (James 3:5-6). When people start to complain, criticize, and gossip, the fire begins to spread. It’s then up to the pastor to put the fire out. The conflict can be directed towards one another, leadership, the Word being taught, or the church in general. Paul told the Romans, “mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them” (Romans 16:17 KJV).

The prison of financial need or lack. Pastors often find themselves in bondage to financial need. This should never happen; the church should properly take care of its pastor. Paul told Timothy if the elder works hard at preaching and teaching, they should be worthy of double honor, and the context shows he was talking about finances (1 Timothy 5:17-18). It was only after the Philippians had given to Paul’s ministry in prison that he said God would meet all their needs (Philippians 4:17-19). To the Romans he said, “if we become partakers of some ones spiritual things, then our duty is to minister to them with our carnal things,” which is money (Romans 15:26-7 & Corinthians 9:7-14).

The church should make sure the pastor is well taken care of. Pastors have expenses many do not have. Make sure they have a good salary. Figure the average salary of each family in the church and pay your pastor at least that much. There should be other benefits as well, like showing your appreciation by taking up offerings for your pastors at special times (birthdays, Christmas, before vacations, etc.). If you make sure your pastor is adequately blessed, God will satisfy you with the abundance of all His goodness. “I will fill (saturate) the soul of the priest with abundance, and my people will be satisfied with my goodness, says the Lord” (Jeremiah 31:14 NKJV).

The prison of battles with the flesh. Pastors or ministers are often viewed as being above fleshly desires, but the opposite is true. It was written to the Hebrews that “every high priest (is) taken from among men” (Hebrews 5:1). It’s not because they are so spiritual, but that God simply chose to call them. “The flesh wars against the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh” (Galatians 5:17). But, not my Pastor, he’s too spiritual! Right.

My overseer in ministry, the late Dr. Paul E. Paino, often said the more spiritual we become, the more our flesh fights us — and the stronger it becomes. It bothers me when people get on their “spiritual high-horse” after a minister goes through difficulty or failure. Usually, if the truth were known, the pastor or church leader probably fell because they had reached heights in God that few have. If you want to see how strong the flesh is, try praying for an hour (Luke 22:39-46)!

The prison of condemnation. Most people in the ministry struggle, at least at times, with condemning themselves. Paul said frequently, “unto me who am the least of all saints is this grace given” (Ephesians 3:8). He also said he was not worthy to be called an apostle (1 Corinthians 15:8-10). Ministers battle with things not going as well as they had hoped, or they or their ministry isn’t far enough along, etc. Once discouragement sets in, they often begin to beat themselves up (at least inwardly). Encouragement helps immensely — you never know when your pastor may be battling with discouragement and condemnation.

The prison of revelation. In Ephesians 3:1-7, Paul speaks of the revelation that was given to him. Any minister worth his salt is chained to the desire for supernatural revelation. They want desperately to hear from God, receive supernatural insight into His Word, and receive vision from the heart of God for their church or ministry. They spend hours, days, weeks, and even months wrestling with God in prayer. That’s why Paul told Timothy to “study to show himself approved, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightfully dividing the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV). Also, pastors often spend countless hours studying commentaries, memorizing and meditating on the word, and seeking the face of God.

The prison of preaching. The minister is commissioned to preach the “unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8). Pastors can’t help but preach, and if they are not preaching, they are miserable. Jeremiah said, “but if I say, I will not remember Him, or speak any more in His name, then in my heart it becomes like a fire shut up in my bones, and I am weary of holding it in and I can not endure it” (Jeremiah 20:9). For those truly called to the ministry, even when you feel like quitting (and even try to), the word burns deep within you and you can’t hold it back!

Paul said, “If I preach the gospel I have nothing to boast of, for necessity is laid upon me, yes, woe is me if I preach not the gospel! For if I do it willingly, I have a reward, but if against my will, (a dispensation of the gospel has been committed to me – KJV) I have been entrusted with a stewardship” (1 Corinthians 9:16-17 NKJV). Pastors are imprisoned to the preaching of the gospel, and we can’t stop.

The prison of frustration. Paul said, “to make all men see” (Ephesians 3:9). Any man or women of God, with a passion for their call, experiences frequent frustrations. Most of the frustration comes from trying to get people to see what we see; trying to get our people (congregation) to grasp what God has shown us through the Word, the vision He has given us (Proverbs 29:18; Habakkuk 2:2-3), and the need for faithfulness (Psalm 12:1; 31:23; Proverbs 20:6), etc.

The prison of prayer. Paul said, “for this cause I bow my knees” (Ephesians 3:14). The person of God feels a driving force to pray. He must pray for his people, the work of God, and in seeking God’s mind and will. Samuel said, “God forbid that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Samuel 12:23). Both Paul and Moses had such a passion to reach their people that Paul asked to be accursed for his people, and Moses asked God to take his name out of His book of life if He would not forgive His people (Exodus 32:32 & Romans 9:1-3). Also read Jeremiah 30:21, Exodus 20:19-21 & 24:18.

The prison of the church. The Pastor is particularly held captive by the church or body of Christ. He is in many ways married to the church. He knows it’s through the church that God’s manifold wisdom will be made known to this world and all the powers of darkness (Ephesians 3:10-11), that the gates of hell will be knocked down (Matthew 16:13-19), and that the church alone was given the authority to bind and loose (Matthew 16:13-19 & 18:18-20).

In essence, it is the church that Jesus will ultimately use to defeat the powers of darkness, to give victory to God’s people, and to display God’s glory, majesty and wisdom. As a result, the pastor has given himself to the church, second to Jesus alone. He is committed to building, defending, growing, and strengthening the church. He knows it’s through the covering of the local church the people of God find security, protection, and the proper foundation they need for growth and victory. It’s the sheepfold through which the people of God are cared for and fed. This is why the pastor is, at least in part, imprisoned to the church.