BY Ken Blue
The first five books of the Bible have the word doctrine mentioned just one time. Next, it is found only once in Job, once in Proverbs, twice in Isaiah, once in Jeremiah, three times in Matthew, five times in Mark, once in Luke, three times in John, four times in Acts, twice in Romans, twice in I Cor, and once in Ephesians. However, in the three small pastoral books it is found no less than sixteen times. The doctrine we preach must be subject to this dispensation.
The pastor must avoid being sidetracked by the novel teachings and vain jingling of others. The pastor told to: 1. Fight a good warfare. 2. Hold faith. 3. Maintain a good conscience. 4. Pray for those in leadership. 5. Teach modesty. 6. Be an avid reader. 7. Maintain purity. 8. Be self-motivated. 9. Hold fast to sound words. 10. Rightly divide the word of God.
Stay off the issues that hinder a well-rounded ministry. If the ministry is balanced, God’s people will be encouraged and edified. Three key issues that will protect your church from factions and the Devil are sound doctrine, their personal involvement in ministry, and leading the saints to love one another. We must take people from where they are to where we want them. That takes lots of patience and a long time. Don’t wait for people to be perfect before you use them.
I suggest that the pastor plan his preaching calendar for the coming year. This should be done in the previous fall. All the planning should be done with this question in mind; what do I want my members to know and what do I want them to do? You will get what you go after.
Pastor Ken Blue was born in Boswell, Ark. In 1955 he accepted Christ as his Savior. He and his wife Joyce were married in 1955. They have 5 children. He graduated from Midwestern Baptist Bible College in 1969 and started the Open Door Baptist Church in Lynnwood, Wa. where he pastored for 39 years. Because of health issues (ALS) he was forced to resign as pastor. It is his desire to continue to be used of God to help pastors and believers through this ministry.
