God's Faithful Servants
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Pastor & First Lady Taylor’s 7th Anniversary
Pastor & First Lady Taylor’s 7th Anniversary
17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
The Bible has very little to say about Pastor. In fact, I only found twelve specifics passages concerning this role. But there is a wealth of knowledge we can learn from these passages. For this seventh anniversary to Pastor and Lady Taylor, I just want to point out four points.
#1 Servants Are From God
Jeremiah 3:15 says
15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.
Too often people believe that the deacons should pick the pastor, or the congregation should vote on them, but this is simply not true according to Scripture. If someone votes a pastor in, they can also vote them out. Just like anything in our lives, when we leave God out of the picture we get exactly what we get.
God has blessed True Believers with a Pastor and First Lady after God’s own heart. And you may be asking, “How do you know this PastorMic?” Well, I’m glad inquiring minds wanted to know. Because according to Luke 22:24–27 “24 Now there was also a dispute among them, as to which of them should be considered the greatest. 25 And He said to them, “The kings of the Gentiles exercise lordship over them, and those who exercise authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ 26 But not so among you; on the contrary, he who is greatest among you, let him be as the younger, and he who governs as he who serves. 27 For who is greater, he who sits at the table, or he who serves? Is it not he who sits at the table? Yet I am among you as the One who serves.”
Jesus heard this worldly dispute over who should be the greatest. In this passage by Luke, we find out that the greatest according Jesus and Scripture are those willing to serve. Pastor and Lady Taylor not only teach about it, but they live out the example before TBBC!
9 [Let your] love be sincere (a real thing); hate what is evil [loathe all ungodliness, turn in horror from wickedness], but hold fast to that which is good.
10 Love one another with brotherly affection [as members of one family], giving precedence and showing honor to one another.
11 Never lag in zeal and in earnest endeavor; be aglow and burning with the Spirit, serving the Lord.
12 Rejoice and exult in hope; be steadfast and patient in suffering and tribulation; be constant in prayer.
13 Contribute to the needs of God’s people [sharing in the necessities of the saints]; pursue the practice of hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you [who are cruel in their attitude toward you]; bless and do not curse them.
15 Rejoice with those who rejoice [sharing others’ joy], and weep with those who weep [sharing others’ grief].
16 Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty (snobbish, high-minded, exclusive), but readily adjust yourself to [people, things] and give yourselves to humble tasks. Never overestimate yourself or be wise in your own conceits.
17 Repay no one evil for evil, but take thought for what is honest and proper and noble [aiming to be above reproach] in the sight of everyone.
18 If possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
I’ve witnessed, and you’ve witnessed these Bible verses being lived out right before your very eyes right here at 2414 Kilburn Avenue.
Not only are Servants From God, but Servants Are for Your Good.
#2 Servants Are For Your Good
1 Timothy 5:17–18 (MSG)
17 Give a bonus to leaders who do a good job, especially the ones who work hard at preaching and teaching. 18 Scripture tells us, “Don’t muzzle a working ox” and “A worker deserves his pay.”
The Message Bible makes it pretty clear that because of all the good Pastor and Lady Taylor do for this congregation and beyond, that they are a necessary part of each of our lives. Imagine some of the things each of us would do without godly teaching and instruction from these two leaders.
The Apostle Paul had a lot to say to this young pastor by the name of Timothy. Listen to the qualifications of your pastor, or any pastor according to 1 Timothy 3:1-7
1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 2 Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
Now doesn’t this sound like your pastor? And Ephesians gives us another reason why Servant Leaders are good for us. Ephesians 4:11-15
11 And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.
12 His intention was the perfecting and the full equipping of the saints (His consecrated people), [that they should do] the work of ministering toward building up Christ’s body (the church),
13 [That it might develop] until we all attain oneness in the faith and in the comprehension of the [full and accurate] knowledge of the Son of God, that [we might arrive] at really mature manhood (the completeness of personality which is nothing less than the standard height of Christ’s own perfection), the measure of the stature of the fullness of the Christ and the completeness found in Him.
14 So then, we may no longer be children, tossed [like ships] to and fro between chance gusts of teaching and wavering with every changing wind of doctrine, [the prey of] the cunning and cleverness of unscrupulous men, [gamblers engaged] in every shifting form of trickery in inventing errors to mislead.
15 Rather, let our lives lovingly express truth [in all things, speaking truly, dealing truly, living truly]. Enfolded in love, let us grow up in every way and in all things into Him Who is the Head, [even] Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).
So, Servants Are From God, Servants Are For Our Good, but Servants are Also Gifted.
#2 Servants Are Gifted
But not only is Pastor Taylor here for our good, but so is Lady Taylor according to Proverbs 31:10-31
10 Who can find a virtuous and capable wife?
She is more precious than rubies.
11 Her husband can trust her,
and she will greatly enrich his life.
12 She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
13 She finds wool and flax
and busily spins it.
14 She is like a merchant’s ship,
bringing her food from afar.
15 She gets up before dawn to prepare breakfast for her household
and plan the day’s work for her servant girls.
16 She goes to inspect a field and buys it;
with her earnings she plants a vineyard.
17 She is energetic and strong,
a hard worker.
18 She makes sure her dealings are profitable;
her lamp burns late into the night.
19 Her hands are busy spinning thread,
her fingers twisting fiber.
20 She extends a helping hand to the poor
and opens her arms to the needy.
21 She has no fear of winter for her household,
for everyone has warm clothes.
22 She makes her own bedspreads.
She dresses in fine linen and purple gowns.
23 Her husband is well known at the city gates,
where he sits with the other civic leaders.
24 She makes belted linen garments
and sashes to sell to the merchants.
25 She is clothed with strength and dignity,
and she laughs without fear of the future.
26 When she speaks, her words are wise,
and she gives instructions with kindness.
27 She carefully watches everything in her household
and suffers nothing from laziness.
28 Her children stand and bless her.
Her husband praises her:
29 “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world,
but you surpass them all!”
30 Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last;
but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.
31 Reward her for all she has done.
Let her deeds publicly declare her praise.
Lady Taylor is definitely a Proverbs 31 woman! Not only is she a godly mother, godly teacher, but a godly woman and wife! Too often are Women Of God are taken for granted for their role in the church and ministry. Like Michelle Obama, Lady Taylor probably didn’t ask, nor was she asked by Pastor Taylor about her servants role, but she has taken it on with a spirit of excellence!