We're continuing in our sermon series on “Knowing God” from the Book of Deuteronomy and we've come to Deuteronomy 6.  This text contains the shemah of Israel (“Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One” — Deuteronomy 6:4)  that every Jew knows, and which is considered one of the most holy verses in the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament).  It’s a profound statement of monotheism that’s at the heart of Judaism: the unity of God and the oneness of God.  This verse was important to Jesus and so this Sunday we’re going to see why.

But we're also going to have a special event.  This Sunday, we get to install Frank Wang to the position of Associate Pastor.  Upon the unanimous recommendation of the Session, you elected and called him to this position back in December.  Last week, Potomac Presbytery gave their approval as well.  Installations are always a special time, and I urge each of you to make every effort to be there!

With that in mind, I want to take a moment to pass on some principles for pastoral ministry.  These come from the book Pastor to Pastor by Erwin Lutzer.  And while I've not always done these well, I've found them to be good counsel because pastoral ministry can be such an overwhelming challenge. How should your time be spent when there are endless good things from which to choose?  When you say yes to one activity, you must say no to another.  However, principles exist that help guide all of us who serve as pastors:

Praying is more important than preaching.  You must guard your time for prayer even more closely than your time for study. When forced to choose, make prayer your top priority. Prayer is not preparation for the work - it is the work.

Preaching is more important than administration. Many pastors spend so much time running the church that they have little time for study and reflection. But it is the ministry of the Word that gives the greatest impact.

The family is more important than the congregation.  Pastors receive affirmation from their congregations and often feel vulnerable to the pressure of public opinion. There is a constant temptation to meet the expectations of the congregation before the needs of your spouse and children. Make the hard choices in your families' favor.

Faithfulness is more important than success.  It's easy to get discouraged in the ministry when you compare yourself to others. In today's Social Media world, it's easy to feel like everyone has a bigger church, is a better preacher, and is more loved than you are.  It takes both work and humility to overcome a spirit of comparison and rejoice in and learn from the successes of other pastors.  When you are content with your part in the kingdom's work, you will have a sense of satisfaction and fulfillment.

Love is more important than ability.  Obviously, you cannot function without gifts that qualify you for the demands of the ministry. You must know the Word and be able to communicate it, and you must have skills for working with people. The Apostle Paul cautioned that all the gifts and talents were folly if not accompanied by love (1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

I hope these simple principles will serve Frank well.  It would be good for you, as members of Potomac Hills, to occasionally remind him of them, and remind him of how much you are praying for him.  And may we all be able to say to Frank, Philemon 1:7, "For I have derived much joy and comfort from your love, my brother, because the hearts of the saints have been refreshed through you."

It's going to be a great Sunday!  See you there, Dr. Dave