Pastor-Scholar

Last Sunday I played the fool and spoke about my two primary gifts, preaching and teaching. If it is a gift from the Lord, there is no ground for boasting, so says Paul the apostle (1 Cor 4:7). I was preaching about those who have the Spirit know the gifts given to them by the Lord. But often times, people just sit in the pews and not serve as if they are not gifted at all. Of course, I cited the lazy slave who was given one talent but hid and buried it. But those with two or five talents traded with their talents and made many more talents for their Lord.

So I spoke about preaching that I hope that if it is not a gift, the congregation would have been bored by now. I had preached 7 times in row as one elder asked me to replace him at the end of May. But this Sunday I am not preaching. One church member told me that her former pastor mentioned to her that I was a good preacher (her former pastor was a former student of mine). 

Then I spoke about the gift of teaching and shared how on the day my former College accepted my resignation in Jan 2024 I received an invitation to teach in KL. I doubt any of the pastor in my denomination has been invited to teach a MTheol course or preach in a church overseas. I know of a Sabahan pastor who pastors a church in KL who is regularly invited to speak in Sabah's meetings or Conference. Each man or woman to his or her gift for God's glory. So I challenged the church members to know their gifts and serve God by using their gifts for God's glory. 

Who am I, by God's grace? I would probably say that I am a pastor-scholar. If I teach full-time in College, then it might be the reverse. But as I shared on the 1st June at a webinar, I told my hearers that my first love is pastoring. Since I started this current ministry I have not written a single page. Even on Monday till Tuesday I feel lethargic after the weekend ministry that I normally just do reading the Bible and books to recuperate. It's hard to write unless one's mind is well rested and you do not have other responsibilities like preaching, leading cell groups or prayer meetings or attending rehearsals.