Written by:
Apostolic Bishop Jerry Pena
God’s Anointed Servant
Spiritual Overseer—Apostolic Impartation of Fire Ministries
©Bishop Jerry Pena / Apostolic Impartation of Fire Ministries. All Rights Reserved.
This post may be shared for non-commercial, ministry purposes with proper attribution. For permission to reproduce for publication, commercial use, or speaking engagements, please contact Apostolic Impartation of Fire Ministries.
A pastor is not merely a man who stands behind a pulpit, carries a title, leads a congregation, or knows how to preach a powerful sermon. A true pastor is a shepherd under the authority of Jesus Christ, the Chief Shepherd. His calling is not first proven by public recognition but by the burden of his heart for the flock of God.
Many people desire ministry because they see the platform, but they do not understand the weight of the pasture. They see the microphone, but they do not see the midnight prayers. They see the honor, but they do not see the burden of watching over souls. A pastor is called to feed, guide, protect, correct, restore, and care for God’s people according to the heart of Christ.
The pastoral calling is not self-appointed. It is not something a man chooses because he wants respect, authority, or religious position. It is a divine assignment given by God and confirmed through character, fruit, spiritual burden, and the witness of the Body of Christ.
“I will give you shepherds after My own heart, who will feed you with knowledge and understanding.— Jeremiah 3:15, BSB
This Scripture reveals the heart of true pastoral ministry. God gives shepherds after His own heart. They do not feed the people with entertainment, manipulation, personal ambition, or worldly wisdom. They feed the flock with knowledge and understanding. A true pastor helps the people know God, understand His Word, walk in His ways, and mature in Christ.
The first mark of a pastor is a shepherd’s heart. A shepherd does not see people as numbers, followers, supporters, or members who exist to build his name. He sees them as souls entrusted to God. He cares when they are weak. He grieves when they are deceived. He notices when they are drifting. He rejoices when they grow in Christ.
A pastor carries the heart of Jesus toward the sheep. This does not mean he is always soft. It means he loves with truth. He comforts the wounded, but he also corrects the rebellious. He strengthens the weak, but he also warns the careless. He feeds the hungry, but he also guards the flock from spiritual danger.
When Jesus restored Peter, He did not first ask him about leadership skill, preaching ability, or public influence. He asked him about love. Then He entrusted him with the sheep.
“Jesus asked a third time, ‘Simon son of John, do you love Me?’ Peter was deeply hurt that Jesus had asked him a third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ ‘Lord, You know all things,’ he replied. ‘You know I love You.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Feed My sheep.’”— John 21:17, BSB
This shows that pastoral ministry flows from love for Christ before it flows into care for people. A man who does not love Christ rightly cannot shepherd Christ’s sheep rightly. The sheep belong to Jesus, not to the pastor. Therefore, the pastor must shepherd them as one who is accountable to the Lord.
A person may know he has a pastoral calling when he cannot ignore the spiritual condition of people. He feels a holy concern when believers are confused, immature, wounded, scattered, or misled. He is not merely interested in preaching to them; he wants to see them healed, grounded, disciplined, restored, and growing in obedience to Christ.
A true pastor must be able to feed the people of God. This feeding is not emotional excitement alone. It is not religious entertainment. It is not motivational talk with Scripture added at the end. A pastor feeds the flock with the Word of God, rightly handled, spiritually applied, and faithfully delivered.
The sheep cannot live on noise. They need truth. They cannot mature on opinions. They need sound doctrine. They cannot be established by spiritual hype. They need the sincere milk and solid meat of the Word.
“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and encourage with every form of patient instruction.”— 2 Timothy 4:2, BSB
This Scripture shows the balance of pastoral teaching. The pastor must preach the Word. He must be ready in season and out of season. He must reprove, rebuke, and encourage. He must do it with patience and instruction. A pastor is not called to flatter the sheep but to nourish them. He is not called to entertain their flesh but to establish their souls.
A true pastor teaches in such a way that people understand God’s will and learn how to walk in it. He brings Scripture into real life. He helps the people understand marriage, family, forgiveness, obedience, prayer, giving, suffering, holiness, spiritual warfare, and the Lordship of Christ.
He does not only preach what excites people. He teaches what forms Christ in them.
One of the weightiest marks of pastoral calling is the burden to watch over souls. A pastor is not merely responsible for programs, buildings, attendance, and offerings. He watches over the spiritual condition of the people.
“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who must give an account. To this end, allow them to lead with joy and not with grief, for that would be of no advantage to you.”— Hebrews 13:17, BSB
This Scripture is sobering. The pastor must give an account. This means pastoral ministry is not light work. It is not a career. It is not a religious office for personal honor. It is stewardship before God.
A true pastor knows that one day he will stand before the Lord concerning how he cared for the sheep. Did he feed them? Did he warn them? Did he protect them? Did he teach them the truth? Did he correct them in love? Did he compromise because he feared losing people? Did he serve for gain, or did he serve because Christ entrusted him with souls?
In practical life, a pastor watches when someone begins to withdraw from fellowship. He notices when someone becomes bitter. He discerns when false doctrine begins to influence the flock. He prays for the weak. He counsels the confused. He confronts sin when needed. He carries the burden of spiritual oversight, not as a dictator, but as a servant accountable to God.
A true pastor does not dominate the sheep. He does not use fear, manipulation, threats, guilt, or spiritual intimidation to control people. He leads by example. His life becomes part of his message.
“Be shepherds of God’s flock that is among you, watching over them not out of compulsion, but because it is God’s will; not out of greed, but out of eagerness; not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.”— 1 Peter 5:2–3, BSB
This passage gives clear pastoral qualities. A pastor shepherds willingly. He serves because it is God’s will. He does not serve out of greed. He does not lord over those entrusted to him. He becomes an example to the flock.
This is where many fail. They want authority without example. They want submission without sacrifice. They want people to honor them, but they do not model humility, prayer, holiness, patience, and faithfulness.
“Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.”— 1 Corinthians 11:1, BSB
This does not mean the pastor is perfect. It means he is submitted to Christ, walking in repentance, growing in grace, and living what he teaches. The people must be able to see a pattern of Christlike conduct in him.
A man may know he is called pastorally when he is willing not only to teach truth but to become an example of truth. He does not only say, “Pray.” He prays. He does not only say, “Forgive.” He forgives. He does not only say, “Trust God.” He trusts God in his own trials.
Many people are impressed by giftings, but God looks at character. A man may speak powerfully, prophesy accurately, teach brilliantly, or move people emotionally, but if his character is unstable, he can wound the sheep.
Pastoral ministry requires more than anointing. It requires maturity. It requires self-control. It requires humility. It requires faithfulness in the home, purity in conduct, and freedom from greed.
“An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not dependent on wine, not violent but gentle, peaceable, and free of the love of money. An overseer must manage his own household well and keep his children under control, with complete dignity. For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how can he care for the church of God?”— 1 Timothy 3:2–5, BSB
This passage shows that pastoral qualification is not built on charisma. It is built on character. A pastor must be above reproach. He must be self-controlled. He must be gentle, not violent. He must be peaceable, not quarrelsome. He must be free from the love of money.
This is very important because some people want to pastor because they desire position, financial security, or influence. But the Scripture requires a man to be free from greed. A pastor must not use the flock as a business market. He must not manipulate the people for money. He must not measure ministry success only by offerings, crowds, buildings, or popularity.
The true pastor carries the fear of the Lord. He knows the sheep belong to Christ.
A pastor must be gentle with sheep but firm against wolves. He must be compassionate toward the weak but courageous against deception. A shepherd who does not protect the flock is not faithful.
“Keep watch over yourselves and the entire flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.”— Acts 20:28–29, BSB
Paul told the elders to keep watch over themselves and the entire flock. This is very important. Before a pastor watches over others, he must watch over himself. A careless shepherd becomes a danger to the sheep.
The church was purchased with the blood of Christ. Therefore, a pastor must never treat the church casually. The people are not his possession. They are God’s inheritance.
A pastor protects the flock by teaching sound doctrine, correcting error, exposing deception, guarding against spiritual abuse, warning against sin, and refusing to allow wolves to devour the sheep. Wolves may come in many forms. Some come with false doctrine. Some come with greed. Some come with rebellion. Some come with charm. Some come with spiritual language but a destructive spirit.
A true pastor cannot be silent when the flock is in danger. Love must warn.
The heart of God as Shepherd is seen in His desire to seek the lost, restore the scattered, heal the broken, and strengthen the weak.
“I will seek the lost, bring back the strays, bind up the broken, and strengthen the weak, but I will destroy the fat and the strong. I will shepherd them with justice.”— Ezekiel 34:16, BSB
This is a beautiful picture of pastoral ministry. A pastor does not only enjoy strong people. He knows how to care for the weak. He does not throw away the wounded. He binds them up. He does not despise the confused. He teaches them patiently. He does not crush the broken. He helps restore them.
But the same verse also says that God shepherds with justice. This means restoration does not remove correction. A pastor must know how to handle different conditions in the flock. The wounded need healing. The weak need strengthening. The lost need seeking. The rebellious need correction. The proud need warning. The deceived need truth.
A man may know he has a pastoral calling when he is not easily irritated by the process of people’s growth. He understands that sheep mature gradually. He is willing to teach again, pray again, counsel again, and correct again. He has patience without becoming passive and firmness without becoming cruel.
A pastor must be doctrinally sound. Compassion without truth becomes weakness. Authority without truth becomes abuse. Zeal without truth becomes danger. Therefore, a pastor must hold firmly to the faithful Word.
“He must hold firmly to the faithful word as it was taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who contradict it.”— Titus 1:9, BSB
This verse shows two responsibilities. A pastor must encourage others by sound doctrine, and he must refute those who contradict it. This means pastoral ministry includes comfort and correction. It includes encouragement and defense of the truth.
A pastor must not build the flock on dreams, opinions, trends, traditions, or emotional experiences that are not anchored in Scripture. He must feed them with the Word of God. He must teach them to test all things by the truth.
In real life, this means a pastor must be a student of the Word. He must read, study, meditate, pray, and rightly divide Scripture. He must be teachable before he can teach others. He must allow the Word to correct him before he uses the Word to correct the flock.
A man may know he is called pastorally when the Holy Spirit places within him a burden for the care of God’s people. This burden does not disappear when ministry becomes difficult. It remains even when people are immature, resistant, slow to grow, or ungrateful.
He may be called pastorally when he has a strong desire to feed people with the Word, not merely preach powerful messages. He wants believers to understand God, walk in obedience, grow in maturity, and be established in Christ.
He may be called pastorally when people naturally come to him for prayer, counsel, correction, comfort, and spiritual guidance. The grace of God upon his life helps people feel covered, strengthened, instructed, and restored.
He may be called pastorally when he feels responsibility for the condition of souls. He cannot ignore spiritual danger. He grieves when people drift. He prays when people fall. He warns when deception enters. He rejoices when the sheep grow.
He may be called pastorally when he is willing to serve without applause. Pastoral ministry often happens in hidden places: hospital rooms, counseling sessions, late-night prayers, private tears, difficult conversations, and patient discipleship.
However, he must also examine his motives. Does he desire to shepherd, or does he desire to control? Does he want to feed the sheep, or does he want the sheep to feed his ego? Does he want to serve Christ, or does he want recognition from men? Does he love the people, or does he only love the pulpit?
The pastoral calling is holy. It must be tested by time, character, fruit, humility, and confirmation from mature spiritual leaders.
Not everyone who preaches is a pastor. Not everyone who teaches is a pastor. Not everyone who prophesies is a pastor. God gives different graces to the Body of Christ.
An evangelist burns to win the lost. A teacher burns to explain the truth clearly. A prophet burns to deliver the word of the Lord and call people back to God. An apostolic vessel burns to establish, align, build, and govern according to divine order. But the pastor burns to shepherd, feed, guide, restore, cover, and protect the flock.
A pastor stays with the sheep through their process. He does not only deliver a message and leave. He walks with them. He knows their condition. He helps them grow. He carries a fatherly and shepherding burden.
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for works of ministry and to build up the body of Christ.”— Ephesians 4:11–12, BSB
This passage shows that pastoral ministry is part of Christ’s gift to the Church. The pastor is given to equip the saints and build up the Body of Christ. His work is not to make people dependent on him forever but to help them mature in Christ.
Pastoral ministry is beautiful, but it is costly. It requires death to self. It requires patience. It requires spiritual maturity. It requires prayer. It requires courage. It requires humility. It requires the fear of the Lord.
A man should not rush into pastoral ministry because of ambition, pressure, admiration, or opportunity. The flock belongs to God. The church was purchased with the blood of Christ. Therefore, anyone who shepherds must do so with reverence.
“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.”— James 3:1, BSB
This warning does not mean the called man should run away from the calling. It means he should enter with holy fear. He must not treat the pulpit as a stage or the sheep as a crowd. He must understand that every word, every decision, every correction, every compromise, and every neglect matters before God.
A pastor must first be shepherded by Christ before he can shepherd others. He must allow the Lord to correct him, heal him, humble him, train him, and mature him.
Pastoral calling is seen when a man prays for people even when they do not know it. It is seen when he teaches patiently, even when people are slow to understand. It is seen when he corrects with tears instead of pride. It is seen when he protects the flock even if some misunderstand him.
It is seen when he visits the sick, comforts the grieving, restores the fallen, strengthens the weak, warns the careless, and feeds the hungry with the Word of God.
It is seen when he does not abandon the sheep because ministry becomes hard. It is seen when he does not become bitter because people are ungrateful. It is seen when he does not compromise the truth to keep attendance high. It is seen when he refuses to sell the anointing, manipulate offerings, or use people for personal gain.
A pastor may be tired, but he returns to prayer. He may be wounded, but he returns to Christ. He may be misunderstood, but he remains faithful. His strength does not come from people’s applause but from the Chief Shepherd who called him.
If you sense a pastoral calling, do not rush to claim the title. Rush to the feet of Jesus. Let Him form His shepherd’s heart in you. Let Him teach you how to love the sheep without owning them, lead them without dominating them, correct them without crushing them, and feed them without using them.
Ask the Lord to purify your motives. Ask Him to make you faithful in hidden places. Ask Him to give you patience, wisdom, discernment, compassion, courage, and sound doctrine.
The pastoral calling is not about becoming important before men. It is about becoming faithful before God.
“And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.”— 1 Peter 5:4, BSB
The reward of a true pastor is not merely earthly honor. It is the approval of the Chief Shepherd. When Christ appears, He will reward those who shepherded His flock faithfully, humbly, and according to His heart. AMEN!
Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, raise up true shepherds after Your own heart. Deliver Your Church from hirelings, wolves, performers, and self-appointed leaders. Give Your people pastors who will feed them with knowledge and understanding. Give us shepherds who love Christ, honor Your Word, protect the flock, restore the broken, strengthen the weak, and lead by example.
Lord, purify every man who senses a pastoral calling. Remove pride, greed, ambition, fear of man, and the desire for control. Form in him the heart of the Chief Shepherd. Teach him to serve with humility, courage, patience, and holy fear. May Your flock be fed, guarded, healed, and matured for Your glory.
In Jesus’ mighty name, amen.
God’s Will is God’s Bill A Kingdom Workers Guide to Divine Provision By Bishop Jerry Pena, God’s anointed Servant The Restaurant Manager Principle Picture this: You’re working at a restaurant,
In every generation, the people of God face a sobering choice: will we embrace the full truth of God’s Word, or settle for a watered-down version that pleases the ear
Lord, You said in Your Word,
“So I sought for a man among them who would make a wall, and stand in the gap before Me on behalf of
There comes a moment in every person’s life when they look around and realize there’s no help coming.
In our consumer-driven culture, we’ve grown accustomed to instant gratification. Insert coins, press buttons, receive products.
In the name of Jesus, I uproot every generational pattern of disease—whether it came through DNA, behavior, trauma, words, or demonic influence. I cancel every diagnosis and every expectation of
