Page 15 - THE MISIONARY 2

PREACHER

TAKE HEED TO THYSELF

Pastor Bert Craft presents some more prin-
ciples of self-care that a servant of God must

have

we are not in any way promoting a
THE PREACHER MUST TAKE life of duplicity, hypocrisy or insince-
HEED TO HIMSELF rity. We are not suggesting that the minis-
FINANCIALLY ter have his public and private life com-
partamentalized with one type of conduct
A true minister of the Gospel of God THE PREACHER MUST TAKE
and the riches of His grace must be HEED TO HIS PUBLIC
faithful and exemplary in his financial TESTIMONY
dealings, because he that is not faithful in
relation to earthly mammon: “Who will
commit to your trust the true riches” (Luke in public and another in private. Rather,
16:10-13)? If the minister of God does we are exhorting the ministers of God
not administrate his money and earthly that they be faithful witnesses to the
resources with integrity and upright- testimony of Christ and His Word, and
ness, how will he be entrusted with the of the church they represent, and that
riches of the Gospel, the watchcare of they do nothing to stain their testimony
precious souls, the administration of the by foolish decisions, wrong attitudes or
church of the Lord, and the unsearcha- improper conduct. The minister must
ble riches of the grace of Christ? exercise maturity and perspicacity to re-
The minister should avoid at all costs cognize that everything he does will affect
unjust gain and a covetous spirit (1 Ti- the work of God and the testimony of the
mothy 3:3; Habakkuk 2:9; Jude 1:11). Lord and His church. For this reason, it is
The minister should learn absolute con- necessary that a pastor not be a novice, a
tentment with the provision of his faithful beginner, or one who has recently expe-
Shepherd without desiring what others rienced the new birth; or as it signifies in
have (1Timoteo 6:6-11). He must honor the Greek language, one who has not been
God with the first fruits of all his increase recently planted (1 Timothy 3:6). A novi-
(Proverbios 3:9-10) by faithfully giving ce is typically one who is overly and un-
tithes and offerings (Luke 11:42; Malachi justifiably confident and believes that he is
3:8-10; Nehemiah 10:2829). He must ad- well-prepared and enabled for all aspects
ministrate his earthly affairs and financial of the work of the Lord, when in reality,
commitments with timeliness and honesty. there is not a minister alive who is suffi-
He must keep himself from all forms of cient for the work of the ministry; his suf-
greed and avarice (Luke 12:15; Psalm ficiency is wholly of the Lord (2 Corint-
10:3, 119:36-37; Jeremiah 6:13; Ephesians hians 3:4-6). Opportunities for service
5:5; 2 Peter 2:3,14). and ministry should be given to aspiring
By stating that a minister must care- preachers within the context of the
fully take heed to his testimony in public, Lord’s church until the time that the
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