Philippians 4:1 “Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.”
The Apostle Paul reveals a True Pastoral Heart in this passage! He refers to the Church at Philippi as “my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown” and “my dearly beloved”. This tender, loving heart is not a natural thing, it must be given by God. The natural mind seeks for position, prosperity, and power with little concern for those that such lusts harms and disadvantages. One of the ways a Pastor knows that he is called to serve a Church as It’s Pastor is that he very deeply loves the members of the Church, and he rejoices at every opportunity to be with them in worship, and his great joy is to see them doing well and prospering in the Word of God and in life. When they suffer and mourn, he suffers and mourns with them. When they rejoice in peace and prosperity, he rejoices with them. When they need encouragement and help, he lovingly rushes to their side to encourage them in the Word of God and help them in both Spiritual and in Natural things. Paul was once guided by his natural lusts, but when God called him to Spiritual life and called him to serve as an Apostle (Acts 9) his motivation immediately and radically changed. Immediately his natural lusts were overcome by his God-given love for his Lord, for the Lord’s Church, and for the Lord’s People. He was then driven by that love to expend himself, his assets, and his very life to serve his Lord and his Lord’s people. He was imprisoned in Rome; but, instead of moaning over his condition, he thanked “God for every remembrance of” them (Philippians 1:3) and he pointed their minds to the “God” which “shall supply all” our “need” (Philippians 4:19). The Lord’s Church and People ought to be the Pastor’s “joy and crown”; that is, all natural joys are secondary to the “joy” of the Word of God, The Church of God, and the People of God. The Lord’s Church and People are the True Pastors’ “crown”; for, they are his primary attention and the evidence and fruit of his beloved labors. The People of God are his “brethren”; thus, he loves and embraces them as Brethren and Sisters, he prays for them constantly, he seeks to clearly and strongly Preach and Teach the Word of God to them, he strives for their welfare even at the expense of his own, and he beams with joy when they assemble with him to Worship. Let us pray for such Pastors!