Ten Pastors — E.A. Johnston

Historical Warnings About an Unconverted Ministry

In the days of George Whitefield, he faced an unconverted ministry. Many ministers in England at the time, in the Church of England, were both unconverted and profane men. Many churches closed their doors to Whitefield because of this, so he was forced to preach in the open air.

Jeremiah's Warning Against Lying Prophets

Fields and metals became his pulpit. The prophet Jeremiah preached against lying prophets in his day. In Jeremiah 23, and in verses 11 and 12, we read. For both prophet and priest are profane. Yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the Lord.

Wherefore their way shall be unto them slippery ways in the darkness. They should be driven on and fall therein, for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the Lord. Years ago, I was being interviewed by a Christian radio station, and the lady host shared with me that she once had a job where she had to contact pastors all over the country and conduct a survey on how they became a pastor.

Why Men Enter the Pastorate

She asked them a series of questions on why they became interested in entering the ministry, and she said she contacted over 1 ,000 pastors from all over the country. The responses she received opened her eyes to the ministry.

She said, most men said they became pastors for different reasons. One man said he enjoyed public speaking, so that's why he became a pastor. Another man said he wanted to help people, so that's why he became a pastor.

Another man said he had a talent for entertaining people, that's why he chose to become a pastor. They all had different reasons for entering the ministry based on their talents and preferences. Then this lady radio host told me that one man's response was different from all the rest.

He was a black pastor who said he entered the pastorate because God had called him to be a preacher. I believe most pastors fall into certain categories. And today, friends, I'm gonna list ten types of pastors today that occupy our pulpits today.

Pastors Who Please Their Congregations

Number one, there are some pastors who are there to please. They are people pleasers, so they will preach nice little messages. They'll make you feel good and make you happy, and they wanna keep their rich members happy, so they'll preach mainly soothing sermons.

Pastors Who Impress With Intellect

Number two, there are pastors who are there to impress. They may have some academics or some professionals in their congregation, and their aim is to impress them with big words or theological terms or doctrine.

Pastors Who Keep People Occupied

So they will try to come across as intellectual. So some are there to please, and some are there to impress. Then number three, there are pastors who are there to keep you informed and to occupy you. So they'll have you take out your church bulletin, and they'll do a fill-in-the-blank teaching methodology, where there's a sentence typed out that is missing in your program, and you gotta fill it in, fill in a word that will be the next word they won't say.

Pastors Who Entertain the Congregation

And you'll fill in the missing word, and this gets you to participate in the message, because their main goal is to just keep you occupied. Number four, then there is the pastor who is there to entertain you.

He'll be amusing and engaging. He'll tell you some jokes and funny stories. They'll make you laugh. He is there to be sure you enjoy yourself, and you have a good time. So you'll be eager to come back again and bring a friend, because his church is fun.

Pastors Who Bully People Into Giving

Number five, then there is the pastor who is there to bully you and intimidate you to tithe and give more to the church. I actually saw a prominent Southern Baptist pastor of a megachurch take this position.

He frequently bullied his congregation. And on this particular Sunday morning, when I was sitting there, he put a photo of Bernie Madoff, the stock fraud investor, on his two giant TV screens in the sanctuary.

Then he pounded the pulpit with his fists, and his face got all red as he screamed at his congregation that they were worse than Bernie Madoff if they didn't tithe to his church. Well, that's when I got up and left, because a pastor is supposed to be a shepherd who loves and leads his sheep, not yells and threatens them.

Pastors Who Bring Worldliness Into the Church

Number six, then there is the blue jean pastor who is there to be cool and relatable to you by bringing the world into his church. One pastor I knew had a weekly Bible study for the men at a local cigar shop, so you could recline and lay back and smoke your cigar and read the Bible.

Pastors Who Seek Appreciation

And he would tell his congregation his favorite TV show was Keeping Up with the Kardashians. He wanted you to feel accepted at his church by letting you know he was as worldly as you were. Number seven, then there are pastors who are there to receive appreciation and acceptance from their congregation.

They have a thin skin and a big ego, and they must be continuously acknowledged, so they will preach an encouraging word. They'll make you thankful for them, so you'll be sure to tell them how much you enjoyed the message.

Pastors Who Measure Success by Church Growth

Number eight, then there is the pastor who is there to grow his congregation. He is on a mad building campaign, and he wants to expand his campus so his messages will be mainly focused on evangelism. It'll be with an easy-to-believe gospel, so people will join his church quickly and add numerically to his church.

He likes to count nickels and noses, and he bases his success in ministry on the size of his church. So he is all about church growth, not because he cares about eternity, but because he cares about his success as he traffics in the souls of men.

Pastors Who Pursue Denominational Advancement

Number nine, then there is the pastor who is there for self-advancement within his denomination. He wants to climb the ladder of success within the ranks of his denomination, so he's focused on church programs and community outreach.

So his resume will look good, so he can jump to a bigger and more prominent church. He will only stay at a church a short time until a better opportunity comes his way for his advancement, and then he will jump for greener pastures.

The God-Called Pastor Preaches the Full Counsel of God

And lastly, number ten, is the rare individual who is the God-called pastor, who cares about your soul enough to preach messages that you need to hear, rather than messages you want to hear. He will preach the full counsel of God and proclaim the great doctrines of the gospel, which are ruin, redemption, regeneration, and repentance.

The God-Called Pastor Warns of Sin and Judgment

He will preach searching sermons on the dangers of the damned in hell, and the blackness of sin, and the badness of the human heart. He will preach a bloody cross and a blood-stained Christ for forgiveness of sin.

Examining the Pastor's Care for Your Soul

He will be honest with your soul and warn you of a future judgment that awaits all mankind. His sermons will be laced with eternity and the love of a dying Christ. I suggest, friend, you take an inventory of what kind of pastor you have, and if that man is the right man for the care of your eternal soul.