📖 Huduma za Kichungaji — Sehemu ya 10: Mchungaji na Uinjilisti📖 Pastoral Ministries — Unit 10: The Pastor and Evangelism

UtanguliziOrientation

Kanisa lisilo na uinjilisti ni kanisa lililo njiani kutoweka. Linaweza kuwa na programu, muziki mzuri, mahubiri yaliyoandaliwa vizuri, kamati zilizojaa, na bajeti yenye afya — na ndani ya miaka arobaini litakuwa tupu, kwa sababu hakuna kanisa linaloweza kudumu lisipozaa. Kuzaa katika mwili wa Kristo hutokea kupitia uinjilisti. Waliopotea wanaokolewa. Waumini wapya wanakua. Wanawafikia wengine. Mzunguko unajirudia. Mzunguko unapokoma, kanisa linakufa.A church without evangelism is a church on the way to extinction. It may have programs, beautiful music, polished preaching, full committees, and a healthy budget — and within forty years it will be empty, because no church survives that does not reproduce itself. Reproduction in the body of Christ happens through evangelism. The lost are saved. The new believers grow. They reach others. The cycle repeats. When the cycle stops, the church dies.

Mchungaji si yeye peke yake anayewajibika kwa maisha ya kiinjilisti ya kusanyiko lake, lakini yeye ndiye msukumo mkuu wa maisha hayo. Mchungaji akienda hivi, kanisa nalo huenda hivyo. Mchungaji asiyeinjilisha yeye mwenyewe hawezi kuongoza kanisa linaloinjilisha. Mchungaji ambaye moyo wake unavunjika kwa ajili ya watu waliopotea ataongoza kusanyiko ambalo moyo wake unavunjika kwa ajili ya watu waliopotea. Sehemu hii inachunguza nafasi ya mchungaji katika uinjilisti — ushuhuda wake binafsi, njia rahisi anazoweza kuwafundisha watu wake, mwaliko wa hadharani katika ibada ya Jumapili, kuwafanya waongofu wapya kuwa wanafunzi, na roho ya mshindi wa roho inayopaswa kuyatambulisha maisha yake.The pastor is not solely responsible for the evangelistic life of his congregation, but he is the principal driver of it. As the pastor goes, so goes the church. A pastor who does not personally evangelize cannot lead a church that does. A pastor whose heart breaks over lost people will lead a congregation whose heart breaks over lost people. This unit examines the pastor's role in evangelism — his own personal witness, the simple methods he can teach his people, the public invitation in the Sunday service, the discipling of new converts, and the spirit of the soul winner that must mark his life.

I. Mchungaji Lazima Awe Mwinjilisti Yeye MwenyeweI. The Pastor Must Be Personally Evangelistic

Agizo la Paulo kwa Timotheo karibu na mwisho wa maisha yake lilijumuisha maagizo ya kudumu: "Fanya kazi ya mwinjilisti, timiza huduma yako" (2 Timotheo 4:5). Angalia maneno haya. Timotheo alikuwa mchungaji. Hata hivyo Paulo alimwagiza kufanya kazi ya mwinjilisti. Miito hii miwili haitengani. Mchungaji mwaminifu pia ni mwinjilisti mwaminifu.Paul's charge to Timothy near the end of his life included a permanent instruction: "Do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5). Notice the phrasing. Timothy was a pastor. Yet Paul charged him with the work of an evangelist. The two callings are not separate. The faithful pastor is also a faithful evangelist.

Hii ni mojawapo ya huduma zilizo rahisi zaidi kwa mchungaji mwenye shughuli nyingi kuipuuza. Mahubiri lazima yaandikwe. Ziara lazima zifanywe. Mikutano lazima ihudhuriwe. Miadi ya ushauri inajaza kalenda. Kabla hajatambua, mchungaji amepitisha miezi sita bila kuketi na mtu aliyepotea na kumweleza Injili. Mahubiri yake yanazidi kugeuka kuelekea ndani tu. Maisha yake ya maombi yanakuwa mfululizo wa maombi kwa ajili ya watakatifu. Maono yake yanafinyika hadi kuta nne za kanisa.This is one of the easiest ministries for a busy pastor to neglect. The sermons must be written. The visits must be made. The meetings must be attended. The counseling appointments fill the calendar. Before he knows it, the pastor has gone six months without sitting down with a lost person and explaining the gospel. His preaching grows more and more inward. His prayer life becomes a series of requests for the saints. His vision shrinks to the four walls of the church.

Mchungaji lazima ajilinde dhidi ya hali hii. Lazima aweke katika ratiba yake ya kila wiki muda wa mahusiano na watu walio nje ya kanisa — majirani, watu anaofanya nao biashara, wazazi kutoka shule ya watoto wake, wanaume walio katika ukumbi wa mazoezi, watu wanaomhudumia kahawa. Hahitaji kuwa msumbufu wala mwenye kulazimisha. Anahitaji tu kuwepo, kuwa mchangamfu, kupatikana, na kuwa tayari kusema habari za Kristo mazungumzo yanapofunguka. Warumi 1:16 ndiyo nanga ya mchungaji hapa: "Kwa maana siionei haya Injili; kwa sababu ni uweza wa Mungu uletao wokovu kwa kila aaminiye."The pastor must guard against this. He must build into his weekly rhythm time for relationships with people outside the church — neighbors, business contacts, parents from his children's school, men in the gym, the people who serve him coffee. He does not have to be obnoxious or pushy. He simply has to be present, friendly, available, and willing to speak of Christ when the conversation opens. Romans 1:16 is the pastor's anchor here: "For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes."

II. Njia Tatu Rahisi Ambazo Kila Mchungaji Anaweza Kuzitumia na KuzifundishaII. Three Simple Methods Every Pastor Can Practice and Teach

Wakristo wengi hawashiriki imani yao kwa sababu wanadhani kwamba uinjilisti unahitaji ujuzi ambao hawana. Wanajiwazia wakiwa mlangoni mwa nyumba, wakimkabidhi mgeni trakti mkononi, wakitarajiwa kubishana na mtu hadi aingie katika ufalme wa Mungu ndani ya dakika tano. Uinjilisti si hivyo, na mchungaji mwaminifu lazima aonyeshe kwa mfano na kufundisha njia ambazo waumini wa kawaida wanaweza kuzitumia kweli.Most Christians do not share their faith because they think evangelism requires skills they do not have. They picture themselves on a doorstep with a tract pressed into a stranger's hand, expected to argue someone into the kingdom of God in five minutes. That is not what evangelism is, and the faithful pastor must demonstrate and teach methods that ordinary believers can actually use.

Kuna njia tatu rahisi ambazo karibu kila Mkristo — pamoja na mchungaji — anaweza kuzitumia bila hofu.There are three simple methods that almost every Christian — including the pastor — can practice without fear.

Ya kwanza ni mwaliko wa kuja kanisani. Mwanamke Msamaria pale kisimani katika Yohana 4 hakuwa na elimu ya theolojia. Hakuwa na wasilisho la Injili alilolikariri. Alichokuwa nacho ni uzoefu binafsi wa Yesu na ujasiri wa kurudi mjini kwao na kusema, "Njoni mwone mtu aliyeniambia mambo yote niliyoyatenda; je! Huyu siye Kristo?" (Yohana 4:29). Mji mzima ukatoka kwenda kumlaki. Ninapokutana na watu katika hali za kila siku — mkahawani, dukani, katika tukio la jamii — mara nyingi najitambulisha kisha nawaalika tu waje kuabudu pamoja nasi. Hakuna kitu cha kutisha katika hilo. Hakuna mabishano yanayohusika. Ni mwaliko rahisi na wa kirafiki. Wengine wanasema hapana. Wengine wanasema ndiyo. Wengine wanasema hapana mara ya kwanza na ndiyo mara ya tatu. Mwaliko wenyewe ni mbegu iliyopandwa.The first is the invitation to church. The Samaritan woman at the well in John 4 did not have a theological education. She did not have a memorized gospel presentation. What she had was a personal experience of Jesus and the courage to go back to her town and say, "Come, see a Man who told me all things that I ever did. Could this be the Christ?" (John 4:29). The whole town came out to meet Him. When I meet people in everyday situations — at a restaurant, in a store, at a community event — I will often introduce myself and then simply invite them to come worship with us. There is nothing threatening about that. There is no argument involved. It is a simple, friendly invitation. Some say no. Some say yes. Some say no the first time and yes the third time. The invitation is itself a planted seed.

Ya pili ni ushuhuda. Kila Mkristo ana hadithi ya jinsi Kristo alivyoleta badiliko katika maisha yake. Hadithi hiyo haihitaji kuwa ya kusisimua sana. Haihitaji kuhusisha kuongoka ghafla kutoka maisha ya uhalifu. Inahitaji tu kuwa ya kweli. "Hivi ndivyo nilivyokuwa. Hiki ndicho Kristo alichofanya. Hivi ndivyo nilivyo sasa." Kipofu aliyeponywa na Yesu katika Yohana 9 alitakiwa na viongozi wa dini wenye uadui aeleze theolojia ya kuponywa kwake. Alijibu kwa mojawapo ya shuhuda zilizo rahisi zaidi na zenye nguvu zaidi katika Maandiko: "Neno moja najua, kwamba mimi nalikuwa kipofu, na sasa naona" (Yohana 9:25). Mchungaji anayewafundisha watu wake kushiriki ushuhuda binafsi wa namna hiyo amewaandaa kwa maisha yote ya uinjilisti.The second is the testimony. Every Christian has a story of how Christ has made a difference in his life. The story does not need to be dramatic. It does not need to involve a sudden conversion from a life of crime. It only needs to be honest. "This is what I was. This is what Christ did. This is what I am now." The blind man healed by Jesus in John 9 was challenged by hostile religious leaders to explain the theology of his healing. He answered with one of the simplest and most powerful testimonies in Scripture: "One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see" (John 9:25). A pastor who teaches his people to share that kind of personal testimony has equipped them for a lifetime of evangelism.

Ya tatu ni trakti ya Injili. Trakti nzuri kimsingi ni wasilisho la Injili lililoandikwa, linaloweza kubebwa popote. Mwamini anayeogopa kueleza Injili kwa maneno yake mwenyewe anaweza kumpa rafiki trakti na kusema, "Je, ungependa tuisome pamoja?" Trakti nyingi zina mwishoni sala rahisi ya mwaliko. Mwamini anaweza kuuliza, "Je, kuna sababu yoyote ambayo usingependa kumpokea Kristo sasa hivi?" Mtu akisema hapana, wanaomba pamoja. Mtu akisema ndiyo, mlango unafunguka kwa mazungumzo zaidi. Trakti imefanya kile ambacho mwamini alijiona hawezi kufanya peke yake.The third is the gospel tract. A good tract is essentially a written, portable gospel presentation. The believer who is nervous about explaining the gospel in his own words can hand a tract to a friend and say, "Would you read this with me?" Many tracts contain at the end a simple invitation prayer. The believer can ask, "Is there any reason you would not want to receive Christ right now?" If the person says no, they pray together. If the person says yes, the door is opened for further conversation. The tract has done what the believer felt unable to do on his own.

Mchungaji anayefundisha na kuonyesha kwa mfano njia hizi tatu rahisi ataongeza mara nyingi uwezo wa kiinjilisti wa kusanyiko lake. Uinjilisti binafsi unaacha kuwa kitu kinachofanywa na waumini wachache wenye karama tu. Unakuwa kitu ambacho kila mwamini anaweza kufanya, wiki hii, na mtu anayefuata atakayekutana naye.The pastor who teaches and models these three simple methods will multiply the evangelistic capacity of his congregation many times over. Personal evangelism stops being something only a few gifted believers do. It becomes something every believer can do, this week, with the next person they encounter.

III. Ujumbe wa KubebaIII. A Message to Carry

Kuna hadithi ya kweli ya zamani kutoka Vita vya Hispania na Marekani inayoonyesha roho ya mwinjilisti. Rais wa Marekani alihitaji kumfikishia ujumbe Jenerali Calixto García, aliyekuwa akiongoza majeshi ya waasi mahali fulani katika milima ya Kuba. Hakuna aliyejua hasa García alikuwa wapi. Afisa kijana wa jeshi aitwaye Andrew Rowan alipewa kazi hiyo. Rowan aliichukua barua, akaifunga juu ya moyo wake ndani ya mfuko usiopitisha maji, akatua usiku pwani ya Kuba, akatoweka msituni, na wiki tatu baadaye akatokea upande wa pili akiwa amemfikishia García ujumbe. Insha ya Hubbard kuhusu tukio hilo — "Ujumbe kwa Garcia" ("A Message to Garcia") — ikawa mojawapo ya maandishi ya Kimarekani yaliyosambazwa zaidi mwanzoni mwa karne ya ishirini, kwa sababu ilionyesha aina ya azimio la nia moja ambalo ulimwengu huliona mara chache.There is an old true story from the Spanish-American War that captures the spirit of an evangelist. The American president needed to get a message to General Calixto García, who was leading insurgent forces somewhere in the mountains of Cuba. Nobody knew exactly where García was. A young army officer named Andrew Rowan was given the task. Rowan took the letter, strapped it over his heart in an oilskin pouch, landed by night off the coast of Cuba, disappeared into the jungle, and three weeks later came out the other side having delivered the message to García. Hubbard's essay about the incident — "A Message to Garcia" — became one of the most widely circulated American works of the early twentieth century, because it captured the kind of single-minded determination the world rarely sees.

Mkristo ana ujumbe wa kubeba. Ni Injili ya Yesu Kristo. Ni muhimu zaidi kuliko taarifa yoyote ya kijeshi. Waliopotea hawako katika msitu fulani wa mbali wa Kuba; wako katika mitaa yetu, mahali petu pa kazi, familia zetu. Mchungaji mwenye roho ya Rowan hataruhusu vizuizi vimzuie. Hataruhusu usumbufu wa kuuliza maswali ya kiroho umzuie. Hataruhusu shughuli nyingi za utawala wa kanisa zisonge nje mazungumzo ya kiinjilisti anayopaswa kuwa nayo. Anabeba ujumbe kwa sababu lazima mtu aubebe, na Bwana ameuweka mkononi mwake.The Christian has a message to carry. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is more important than any military communiqué. The lost are not in some distant Cuban jungle; they are in our neighborhoods, our workplaces, our families. The pastor with the spirit of Rowan will not let obstacles stop him. He will not let the discomfort of asking spiritual questions stop him. He will not let the busyness of church administration crowd out the evangelistic conversations he is supposed to be having. He carries the message because somebody has to, and the Lord has put it in his hand.

IV. Mchungaji Kama MzidishajiIV. The Pastor as Multiplier

Mchungaji hawezi kuuinjilisha mji peke yake. Hata mwinjilisti binafsi mwenye karama kubwa zaidi atawafikia watu wachache tu katika wiki yoyote. Mkakati mpana zaidi wa kiinjilisti wa mchungaji ni kuliongoza kanisa katika utume ili mamia ya waumini, waliofundishwa na kuandaliwa, wawe wakifanya kazi hiyo pamoja naye.The pastor cannot evangelize a city by himself. Even the most gifted personal evangelist will reach only a few people in any given week. The pastor's larger evangelistic strategy is to lead the church into mission so that hundreds of believers, taught and equipped, are doing the work alongside him.

Hii inamaanisha mambo kadhaa ya vitendo. Mchungaji anahubiri uinjilisti — si kwa kuwatia watu hatiani, bali kama kufurika kwa furaha ya Injili. Anawafundisha washiriki wake njia zile rahisi. Anasherehekea hadharani watu wanapookoka. Analiweka Agizo Kuu lionekane katika maombi, kalenda, na bajeti ya kanisa. Anajenga huduma za kufikia jamii — Shule ya Biblia ya Likizo, matukio ya jamii, ibada za kiinjilisti, safari za kimisionari — zinazowapa washiriki wa kila umri njia iliyopangwa ya kushiriki imani yao.This means several practical things. The pastor preaches evangelism — not as guilt-trips, but as the joyful overflow of the gospel. He trains his members in the simple methods. He celebrates conversions publicly when they come. He keeps the Great Commission visible in the church's prayers, calendar, and budget. He builds outreach ministries — Vacation Bible School, community events, evangelistic services, mission trips — that give members of every age a structured way to share their faith.

Kanisa lisilo na utamaduni wa kiinjilisti limepoteza kitu kilicho kiini cha utambulisho wake. Waumini wa kwanza hawakuitwa hata Wakristo mwanzoni. Waliitwa "wa Njia" (Matendo 9:2; Yohana 14:6). Walikuwa watu waliojua njia ya kwenda kwa Baba kupitia Yesu Kristo, na walijulikana kwa kuwaonyesha wengine njia hiyo. Kila mchungaji mwaminifu lazima ajitahidi kuwarudishia watu wake jina hilo.A church without an evangelistic culture has lost something central to its identity. The earliest believers were not even called Christians at first. They were called "the Way" (Acts 9:2; John 14:6). They were the people who knew the way to the Father through Jesus Christ, and they were known for showing others the way. Every faithful pastor must labor to recover that name for his people.

V. Mwaliko wa JumapiliV. The Sunday Invitation

Wachungaji wengi wanakabiliwa na swali ambalo vizazi vya zamani havikukabiliana nalo: je, ibada ya Jumapili inapaswa kujumuisha mwaliko wa hadharani? Katika mapokeo mengine jibu limekuwa ndiyo daima. Katika mengine desturi hiyo imepitwa na mtindo. Mchungaji mwaminifu lazima alitafakari jambo hili kwa mujibu wa Biblia badala ya mujibu wa mtindo.Many pastors face a question that older generations did not face: should the Sunday service include a public invitation? In some traditions the answer has always been yes. In others the practice has fallen out of fashion. The faithful pastor must think this through biblically rather than fashionably.

Maandiko yamejaa mialiko ya hadharani. Yoshua mwishoni mwa maisha yake aliwakusanya Israeli akasema, "Chagueni hivi leo mtakayemtumikia... lakini mimi na nyumba yangu, tutamtumikia BWANA" (Yoshua 24:15). Eliya juu ya Mlima Karmeli aliwaita Israeli wachague kati ya BWANA na Baali. Petro siku ya Pentekoste alihubiri kisha "kwa maneno mengine mengi akashuhudia, akawaonya, akisema, 'Jiokoeni na kizazi hiki chenye ukaidi'" (Matendo 2:40). Biblia haijui mahubiri yasiyoita jibu.Scripture is full of public invitations. Joshua at the end of his life called Israel together and said, "Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve... but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" (Joshua 24:15). Elijah on Mount Carmel called Israel to choose between the Lord and Baal. Peter at Pentecost preached and then "with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, 'Be saved from this perverse generation'" (Acts 2:40). The Bible knows nothing of preaching that does not call for a response.

Namna mwaliko unavyotolewa itatofautiana kulingana na kusanyiko. Katika makanisa mengine ni kujitokeza hadharani mbele mwishoni mwa ibada. Katika mengine ni kuinamisha kichwa kimya na kuinua mkono, kisha kufuatiliwa faraghani baadaye. Katika mengine ni kadi ambayo mgeni anaitia alama kuonyesha nia yake kuhusu wokovu, ubatizo, au ushirika wa kanisa. Namna ni jambo la pili. Kanuni ndiyo jambo la kwanza: Injili inayohubiriwa lazima ijumuishe wito wa kuitikia.The form the invitation takes will vary by congregation. In some churches it is a public coming forward at the end of the service. In others it is a quiet bowing of the head and a raised hand, with private follow-up afterward. In others it is a card the visitor checks marking interest in salvation, baptism, or membership. The form is secondary. The principle is primary: the gospel proclaimed must include a call to respond.

Mchungaji lazima awe mwangalifu asiutumie kamwe mwaliko kwa ujanja. Hapaswi kutumia shinikizo la hisia, kurudia-rudia beti za wimbo wa kufunga, au mbinu za kisaikolojia ili kuzalisha maamuzi yasiyo ya kweli. Roho Mtakatifu ndiye anayeongoa; mchungaji anaita tu. Lakini mchungaji lazima aite. Kuhubiri Injili kisha kuwaaga watu tu waende nyumbani ni kuiacha kazi bila kuikamilisha.The pastor must be careful never to manipulate the invitation. He must not use emotional pressure, repeated verses of the closing hymn, or psychological tactics to produce decisions that are not real. The Holy Spirit converts; the pastor merely calls. But the pastor must call. To preach the gospel and then simply send people home is to leave the work unfinished.

VI. Kumfanya Mwongofu Mpya Kuwa MwanafunziVI. Discipling the New Convert

Wakati wa uamuzi ni mwanzo, si mwisho. Mwamini mpya asiyefanywa mwanafunzi yuko hatarini kuwa na imani inayofifia ndani ya miezi michache. Wajibu wa mchungaji unaenda zaidi ya mwaliko. Lazima awe na utaratibu uliowekwa kwa yale yanayofuata.The moment of decision is the beginning, not the end. A new believer who is not discipled is a candidate for a faith that fades within months. The pastor's responsibility extends past the invitation. He must have a system in place for what happens next.

Makanisa mengi yenye afya yana namna fulani ya kuwafuatilia waumini wapya. Mshiriki aliyefundishwa anakutana na mwongofu mpya wiki ile ile. Funzo rahisi la Biblia linamwongoza katika misingi ya imani — uhakika wa wokovu, maombi, kusoma Biblia, kanisa, ubatizo. Wanatiwa moyo kubatizwa mara tu wanapokuwa tayari. Wanaunganishwa na kikundi kidogo, darasa la shule ya Jumapili, mlezi wa kiroho. Wanatambulishwa kwa watu wa umri wao na hatua yao ya maisha.Most healthy churches have some form of new-believer follow-up. A trained member meets with the new convert that week. A simple Bible study walks them through the basics of the faith — assurance of salvation, prayer, Bible reading, the church, baptism. They are encouraged into baptism as soon as they are ready. They are connected to a small group, a Sunday school class, a discipler. They are introduced to people their own age and stage in life.

Hili linaunganika moja kwa moja na Sehemu ya 7. Uinjilisti usio na uanafunzi unawaacha nyuma watoto wachanga wa kiroho. Uanafunzi usio na uinjilisti unazalisha waumini waliokomaa vizuri ambao kamwe hawamwoni mtu yeyote akija kwa Kristo. Mchungaji mwaminifu anakataa kuchagua kati ya hayo mawili. Anajitoa kwa yote mawili.This connects directly to Unit 7. Evangelism without discipleship leaves spiritual infants behind. Discipleship without evangelism produces beautifully mature believers who never see anyone come to Christ. The faithful pastor refuses to choose between the two. He pours himself into both.

VII. Roho ya Mshindi wa Roho ya MchungajiVII. The Pastor's Soul-Winner Spirit

Kuna roho inayomtambulisha mchungaji mwinjilisti, nayo inatambulika hata kutoka upande wa pili wa chumba. Anawapenda kweli watu waliopotea. Anawaombea kwa majina yao. Anazungumza habari zao akiwa nyumbani na mke wake. Anawalilia akiwa katika chumba chake cha kujifunzia. Anawaona si kama miradi bali kama watu ambao Mungu anawapenda. Roho hiyo haiwezi kuigizwa, wala haiwezi kupuuzwa. Lazima ikuzwe.There is a spirit that marks the evangelistic pastor, and it is recognizable from across a room. He genuinely loves lost people. He prays for them by name. He talks about them when he is at home with his wife. He weeps over them in his study. He sees them not as projects but as people God loves. That spirit cannot be faked, and it cannot be neglected. It must be cultivated.

Ukuzaji huo hutokea kupitia maombi, Maandiko, na nidhamu ya kawaida ya kuketi na watu waliopotea. Mchungaji ambaye hajafanya mazungumzo ya kweli na asiyeamini kwa miezi mitatu, licha ya nia zake njema kabisa, ataipoteza roho hiyo. Mahubiri yake yatakuwa ya kinadharia. Maombi yake yatakuwa ya mazoea tu. Mialiko yake ya kiinjilisti kutoka mimbarini itasikika kama iliyokaririwa kwa sababu kweli itakuwa imekaririwa.The cultivation happens through prayer, Scripture, and the regular discipline of sitting with lost people. A pastor who has not had a real conversation with a non-believer in three months will, despite his best intentions, lose that spirit. His sermons will become abstract. His prayers will become routine. His evangelistic appeals from the pulpit will sound rehearsed because they will be rehearsed.

Mchungaji aliye mara kwa mara pamoja na watu waliopotea, anayewaombea, anayemsihi Mungu kwa ajili ya wokovu wao — mchungaji huyo atahubiri kwa moto. Mialiko yake itakuwa na uzito. Kusanyiko lake litahisi uharaka anaouhisi yeye. Watapokea kutoka kwake moyo wa Bwana aliyekuja "kutafuta na kukiokoa kilichopotea" (Luka 19:10).A pastor who is regularly with lost people, who is praying for them, who is pleading with God for their salvation — that pastor will preach with fire. His invitations will land with weight. His congregation will feel the urgency that he feels. They will catch from him the heart of the Lord who came "to seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10).

HitimishoClosing

Mchungaji, kwa lugha ya Paulo, ni mjumbe (balozi) wa Kristo. 2 Wakorintho 5:20 inasema hivi kwa kudumu: "Basi tu wajumbe kwa ajili ya Kristo, kana kwamba Mungu anasihi kwa vinywa vyetu; twawasihi ninyi kwa ajili ya Kristo, mpatanishwe na Mungu." Neno hilo mjumbe (balozi) linamaanisha mtu anayemwakilisha mwingine, anayesema kwa niaba ya mwingine, anayebeba mamlaka ya yule aliyemtuma. Mchungaji anasimama katika jamii yake kama mjumbe wa Kristo. Mwaliko wake wa Injili si wake mwenyewe; ni wa Kristo, kupitia yeye.The pastor is, in Paul's language, an ambassador for Christ. Second Corinthians 5:20 puts it permanently: "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God." That word ambassador means a person who represents another, who speaks for another, who carries the authority of the one who sent him. The pastor stands in his community as Christ's ambassador. His invitation to the gospel is not his own; it is Christ's, through him.

Mchungaji anapoishi hivi maisha yake yote — akiinjilisha yeye mwenyewe, akiwaandaa watu wake, akiita watu waitikie kutoka mimbarini, akiwafanya waumini wapya kuwa wanafunzi, akienenda katika roho ya mshindi wa roho — matokeo ni kanisa linalokua kwa sababu zilizo sahihi. Watu wanakuja kwa Kristo. Wanafunzi wapya wanaundwa. Ufalme wa Mungu unasonga mbele katika mji ule. Na mchungaji, siku moja atakaposimama mbele ya Mchungaji Mkuu, atasikia maneno ambayo kila mwinjilisti mwaminifu anatamani kuyasikia: "Vema, mtumwa mwema na mwaminifu... ingia katika furaha ya bwana wako" (Mathayo 25:21).When the pastor lives this way for a lifetime — personally evangelizing, equipping his people, calling for response from the pulpit, discipling new believers, walking with the soul-winner's spirit — the result is a church that grows for the right reasons. People come to Christ. New disciples are formed. The kingdom of God advances in that town. And the pastor, when he stands one day before the Chief Shepherd, will hear the words every faithful evangelist longs to hear: "Well done, good and faithful servant... Enter into the joy of your lord" (Matthew 25:21).

"Basi wamwombeje yeye wasiyemwamini? Tena wamwaminije yeye wasiyemsikia? Tena wamsikieje pasipo mhubiri? Tena wahubirije wasipopelekwa? Kama ilivyoandikwa, 'Jinsi ilivyo mizuri miguu yao wahubirio habari za mema!'" (Warumi 10:14–15)."How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: 'How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!'" (Romans 10:14–15).

Kila mchungaji anayesoma haya na ajitoe upya kufanya kazi ya mwinjilisti, kuliongoza kanisa lake katika utume, na kutimiza huduma yake hadi siku ile Kristo atakaporudi au atakapomwita nyumbani.May every pastor reading this commit afresh to do the work of an evangelist, to lead his church into mission, and to fulfill his ministry until the day Christ returns or calls him home.

Wasilisha Mtihani & Angalia KufauluSubmit Exam & Check Pass