Outdoor Object Lesson 89: Serving Your Pastor

Key Text

“So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers,” Ephesians‬ ‭4:11‬ (‭NIV‬‬)

Lesson

The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a fascinating bird that at first glance, could be mistaken for an owl. The shape of it’s concave face looks uncannily like an owl’s. However, it is most certainly an eagle. It is native to the jungles of South and Central America. It is a very large eagle with an unusually short wingspan so it can easily fly between the dense trees. It builds its nest 90 or more feet (27 m) high in a tree. It can have claws as big as those of a bear! It is a fantastic hunter and a king of the jungle. It lives on large mammals, mostly sloths, monkeys, and opossums.

It’s an apex predator.1 Apex predators have a unique place in the food chain. They are at the top (apex) and therefore have no natural enemies. However, if the health of the ecosystem where they live declines or is threatened, so is the apex predator. As a result, scientists are able to determine when ecosystems are in poor health by looking at the health and numbers of the apex predator. They provide a good metric to determine when their habitat is threatened.

We can draw a parallel with the church. Pastors are usually in charge of a church. In some cases it may be a head elder. Either way, this person is at the top of the local church management. Pastors (and elders) are endowed by God with authority to lead His flock. This is because they have training and spiritual gifts to lead evangelism and facilitate other’s spiritual growth. Pastors (and other church leaders) are not better or closer to God than us. Only Jesus is the Head of the Church. But their leadership is important to direct the local church.

Like the harpy eagle, who’s health indicates the health of the jungle where they live, so the pastor’s, or elder’s, spiritual health is a good indicator of the spiritual health of their church. Where you find a thriving congregation, full of the love of Jesus, you will find a pastor who has a strong relationship with God. Wherever you find a pastor who is overworked, or preoccupied with this world, you are likely to find a church congregation that is unhealthy and dwindling.

How does this impact you? As church members we often take our pastor, and elders, for granted. It is easy to forget they are human too. We tend to forget that they are not there to do all the work in the church, to conduct all the evangelism and bible studies. When Paul compared the church to a body, he meant we all have a part to play. The pastor cannot do it all. So if you want to ensure that your pastor, and elders, maintain a healthy relationship with God. If you want to be sure that he or she is able to do their best work for your church, do what you can to help him or her. Pray for them, daily. Go to them and tell them you want to help. Ask what you can do to help the church and make their job easier. Seek ways to serve your pastor and help him or her keep a healthy relationship with Jesus.

Questions

What do you think a pastors most important job is?

What are some other ways you can assist your pastor and church elders?

What should you do if you feel your pastor is not doing a good job?

What steps can you take to make sure your work for God does not get in the way of your relationship with with God?


Sources

1: “Jungle Eagle: Harpy Eagle Fact Sheet.” Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) online. Retrieved on February 27, 2019 from http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/jungle-eagle-harpy-eagle-fact-sheet/7263/.


Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: Bruno Gomes via www.pexels.com

Christian Outdoor Object Lesson 47: Humblebees

Key Text

"For who is greater, one who sits at the table, or one who serves? Isn’t it he who sits at the table? But I am among you as one who serves.” Luke 22:27 (WEB)

Lesson

Have you ever wondered where bumblebees got their name? It is a fitting name because they do seem to bumble around as they hunt for flowers. In fact, early on in the science of entomology (the study of insects) this hard working bee went by another name --humblebee. It is thought this name came about as a result of the distinct hum bumblebees make as they fly. This hum is made by their wings which beet at around 130 times per minute. The name bumblebee came about later and for a short amount of time the two names were used for the same insect. Eventually, bumble be became the only name listed in scientific texts and humblebee was relegated to the past.

Bumblebees are very hard workers. The entire colony works hard to serve the queen. Bees are known for their hardworking nature. they are so effective at pollinating that they are considered one of the best pollinator insects. Their fast wings spread flower pollen more effectively than other insects. This is known as buzz pollination and enables plants to produce more fruit. Worker bees gather pollen for food, clean and guard the nest. The queen is left with nothing to do but lay and hatch eggs. The queen will outlive the entire colony.1 But the worker bees do not complain. They go about their work faithfully carrying out the task God has given them. Humblebee seems to be a good name for them for more than one reason.

Jesus had workers while here on earth. In Luke 22 we find them arguing about who among them was the greatest. Jesus gave them an important lesson which is one of the most memorable in the Bible. He said to them, “The kings of the nations lord it over them, and those who have authority over them are called ‘benefactors.’ But not so with you. But one who is the greater among you, let him become as the younger, and one who is governing, as one who serves." (verses 25-26, WEB). In other words, if you want to be the greatest, you need to focus on serving others. Jesus had to repeat this lesson multiple times to his disciples. They only finally got it once he had gone back to heaven.

In God's kingdom, love for others is what matters most. It is easy to want to make ourselves the best. How long do you thing a colony of bees would last if they were all trying to be queen? Certainly not long. Then not only would the bees cease to exist but we would loose an important insect that helps produce our food. If we want to truly be workers for God, then we need to take a lesson from the humblebee.

Questions

Has anyone ever done something for you they did not have to? Were they humble about it?

The lesson said we should not work to be at the top but serve others instead, is this easy to do?

Have you ever served someone with a humble attitude? How about someone who did not deserve it?

Is humility good for us or just the people we show it to? Why?

Sources

1 Alina Bradford. "Facts About Bumblebees." January 13, 2017. Livescience.com. Accessed February 10, 2017 from https://www.livescience.com/57509-bumblebee-facts.html. 

Written by David F. Garner
Photo credit: 324082 via www.pixabay.com