"Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God." -- 1 Corinthians 4:1, (King James Version)
As faith comes from hearing the words of Christ, God's people are called through this word to the faith that they share together in the congregation. It the people and the pastor together that form a Christian congregation as they gather around the Lord and his word!
I remember the day a pastor friend said to me that being a pastor meant being on the front lines of Jesus loving and forgiving his people. This is a wonderful way to understand the privilege of the Ministry of the Word. When a man is set apart by God in this way, he is set apart to speak on behalf of the true Man of God himself! He is placed in a congregation to represent the Lord and his words in a personal way.
St. Paul says that he and the others are ministers of Christ, stewards of the mysteries of God. Ministry is a gift of God for the people of God. There the minister speaks the words of the sermon, the words of the supper, and even personally distributes the bread and wine, the body and the blood with words spoken by Jesus, “given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins!”
Pastors are in great need at this time in the L.C.M.S. In our churches there are over five hundred vacancies! In other words, there are far more congregations than there are men set apart to serve them. Let us pray that the Lord would provide servants for his churches and strengthen these servants in their work for him. For it is the people and the pastor that form the church!
Pastor