Right Doctrine Gone Wrong

Being a pastor is a tough calling for many reasons. One of those reasons is that it is becoming increasingly difficult to teach proper doctrine. Another reason is that it is far too easy to focus so much on teaching correct doctrine that we miss discipling our people. If you and I start to think that the only aspect of discipleship is what we teach from the pulpit and how we organize our Sunday services, we have missed it entirely.

We spend so much time and energy into preparing our sermons and services that we never gear in to the specific needs of our people. The old saying is true though: "people don't care how much you know until they know how much you care." I'm mainly speaking to pastors and elders here: when is the last time you preached a message that wasn't intended to convict, but encourage? I'm not asking us to become 'feel good' false teachers like Joel Osteen. What I am asking is that we understand when our people need to be encouraged.

Don't forget that discipleship is a process. We can't come in every Sunday expecting to change our people with our sermon that we are sure will convict everyone; it just doesn't work that way. If all your church says about you as a pastor is that "he sure is smart," or "he knows the Scripture so well," then you're not doing the work of a Shepherd.

Please don't misunderstand me here, I think doctrine is vital to a church and if you throw away proper doctrine, you don't really have a church. But we are supposed to lead our people to a relationship with Jesus first. Proper doctrine will follow an authentic relationship with Jesus; the real Jesus. But pastor, think about it for a moment, are there people in your congregation who won't listen to you because all you're trying to do is cram doctrine down their throats instead of loving them when they need it most?

We must find a balance here. We must spend time with Jesus and allow our relationship with Him to flow through our ministries. Stop planning sermons based on what 'so and so need(s) to hear.' The people at your church must see a pastor that is going through the same things they are. They don't need your fancy quotes or the fruits of your la(bore)ious study. They need the fruits of your labor with Jesus. That's what being a pastor is all about after all.

Stop trying to show how much of the Bible you know. Start showing your people how the gospel affects every area of their lives. Teach them that even though they probably just had the worst week of their lives, God hasn't run out of grace for them in this very moment. They don't need your intelligence, they need Jesus. Reflect Him, not just knowledge about Him.