The Making of a Disciple Making Pastor
#2- Lead Yourself First
Becoming a disciple making pastor does not happen accidentally. A disciple making pastor is made by looking at how Jesus made disciples and leading like Jesus led. Being a disciple making pastor begins by leading toward the mission of Jesus, so the second step is to learn to lead yourself first.
Let’s take a closer look at what it means to lead yourself first. By all means, please pass this blog along to any pastor you may know.
#2- Lead Yourself First A disciple making pastor leads his church toward the mission of making disciples, and one of the most important ways to do that is to lead himself first. The principle is simple- a disciple making pastor models what it means to be and build disciples. If a pastor is not living out the mission of a fully trained disciple, how can he ask someone else to do so?
Jesus lived the life He wanted His disciples to live. In Luke 6:40, Jesus says, “A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher.” Jesus could ask His disciples to be like Him because He was leading Himself first.
Perfection is not the goal of a disciple making pastor, but progress in the right places is the focus. A disciple making pastor is trying to live his or her life to be as much like the teacher as possible. That takes self-leadership. It takes being strategic and intentional about living life by following the model of Christ.
Paul said, “Follow my example as I follow Christ…” (1 Corinthians 11:1) not because he was perfect, but because he was leading himself to live as much like Christ as he could. Being a pastor for nearly three decades, I understand Paul’s appeal. He was not being arrogant or proclaiming that he had arrived at his destination. Paul was simply urging others to do what he was doing: to live like Jesus lived.
If Jesus spent time with the Father, a pastor should, too. If Jesus lived in community, a pastor should, too. If Jesus was a friend of sinners, a pastor should be as well. If Jesus managed His life’s resources to honor the Father, a pastor should manage his resources in the same way. If Jesus spent time developing disciples, a pastor should as well. If a pastor is not seeking to live like Jesus lived, that pastor is not being an authentic disciple of Jesus.
If pastors are seeking to walk as Jesus walked, those pastors can say with confidence they are disciple making pastors. No congregation is looking for the perfect pastor, but they are all looking for a pastor that lives the life they are asking others to live.
I once heard John Maxwell say, “Leadership is who you are before it is what you do.” Lead yourself first!
If you want to learn more about being a disciple, check out impactdisciples.com. You might even contact Impact Ministries about joining a monthly coaching group we host for pastors that want to become disciple making pastors.
