Pastor, Jesus is Enough
Where can pastors find help when the pressure becomes unbearable? In Pastor, Jesus is Enough, Jeremy Writebol brings hope for the weary, the burned out, and the broken.
Warnings and Promises for Pastors
By examining the seven letters in Revelation 2-3, Writebol addresses pastors with warnings and promises. Ministry idolatry, worldly distractions, and our fallen nature can cause us to drift from our first love. Writebol calls us to keep our focus on Christ.
The temptation to prominence is one that impacted me the most. Writebol notes that we tend to believe falsehoods that tell us our porminnce comes form our upward mobility into larger and larger ministires. Isn’t this the point of platforms? Writebol reminds us that Christ has placed you in a strategic setting. He has given you a specific flock to shepherd, and he knows all of his sheep by name. And even the pastor himself belongs to Jesus. And “because pastors belong to Jesus, they can serve in obscurity.” This is how you can find rest in a world that tells you to work with your own strength.
Fix Your Gaze on Jesus
I was most challenged to see how this isn’t a self-congratulating book. The office of the pastor is a high calling, and pastors will face stricter judgment. Chapter 8 specifically calls the pastor to repent. The humble pastor knows he has a place in Jesus’ throne. In this way, he can know who he is and know the power and reality of Christ’s redemptive grace. But repentance must come first. It is the safest thing to do for those who belong to him. Writebol does not mince his words. He is firm and kind in calling pastors to repent.
The book ends on an incredible note. Writebol calls us to fix our gaze on Jesus, specifically on his holiness, his glory as creator, and his suffering. The worship of Jesus and his work on the cross is compelling enough. Recognizing our weakness helps us find our strength in him. This is a bold and beautiful book. Pastors will find their hearts heavy. But those that come to Christ will find their spirit sparked — ready to serve him in the strength that he supplies.
I received a media copy of Pastor, Jesus is Enough and this is my honest review. Find more of my book reviews and follow Dive In, Dig Deep on Instagram - my account dedicated to Bibles and books to see the beauty of the Bible and the role of reading in the Christian life. To read all of my book reviews and to receive all of the free eBooks I find on the web, subscribe to my free newsletter.