I was a member of a non-denominational megachurch for more than a decade. Throughout the years, I witnessed a great number of members leave our church. These were not “baby Christians.” Rather, they were people of faith who I looked up to and who had been Christians for many years.
And the reason for their departure?
Their answer was simple: “We’re not getting spiritually fed.”
I thought to myself, “How selfish of you! It’s not the job of the pastor to feed you. That’s your job!”
The reason for thinking that way was because of what my church taught me, including the influence of other well-known, mega-church pastors whom I admired, namely those who influenced my church’s way of thinking—and ultimately, my own thinking as well. You see, my church did not teach in an expository manner — meaning that the sermons were very superficial and not thoroughly and comprehensively explained. Aside from this, there were no other resources that were available for people who wanted to dive deeper into the Bible. And for years I was okay with this because I naively followed what my church leaders taught. I didn’t know any better and I never questioned anything.
When people questioned all of this, our pastors and other church leaders would repeatedly say, “Hey, it’s not my job to teach doctrine or sound theology. People have to do that themselves. We are here to win souls and if we go too deep, we are going to lose people.”
And because of this thinking and in order to keep the large crowds coming, our sermons were very watered-down. There was no real doctrine taught. The sermons were light and they were carefully crafted as to not offend anyone. The consequences of this were that new people did not get the full gospel and those who had been in church for years remained stuck, with no opportunity for spiritual growth.
Unfortunately, this way of thinking has become all too common in the modern, evangelical world — especially megachurches.
So, as I’ve grown and matured in my faith, so have my thoughts evolved regarding this crucial question: Should pastors feed the sheep or should the sheep feed themselves?
The answer is yes and yes.
Yes, the sheep should feed themselves. In other words, it is our duty and responsibility to read our bibles, devote ourselves to prayer, spend time with God, study theology, etc. In fact, Peter tells us that we ought to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). This implies that we do have a sense of responsibility for our own spiritual growth.
On the other hand, it is also the responsibility of the pastor to feed his sheep. This means that it is their duty to exegete the Scriptures and not shy away from teaching sound doctrine. Pastors are not exempt from teaching their congregation proper theology, doctrine and truth. If we excuse pastors from this, then what are they even doing on a platform? What is the whole purpose of preaching?
I can tell you what the purpose of preaching is NOT. The purpose of preaching is not to get on stage and show off the bling-bling, the fancy outfit, the fancy shoes and then give a pep-talk on positivism and how to be successful at life, with a little sprinkle of Jesus here and there!
Sadly, that’s what many pastors (not all) have become. Their focus is more on the exterior, keeping appearances, making sure the congregation is happy and not on the interior. I see it all the time on social media. They use the good old phrase, “It’s not my responsibility to feed you. It’s yours.”
And they justify themselves by resorting to this excuse so as to not have to actually prep and properly study for a well, expounded sermon. And so, instead of giving meat on Sundays, they tend to just give an appetizer. In other words, instead of producing a biblical, exegetical sermon, they produce a weak, shallow sermon that resembles more of a ted talk than an actual sermon.
What does the bible say about all of this? The bible clearly states that pastors are to be equipped to teach and to rightly handle the word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Furthermore, we also see Jesus give Peter the command to, “feed My sheep” in John 21:17. We don’t see Jesus telling Peter, “Hey man, don’t worry about the sheep. Just keep them happy. They can feed themselves.” On the contrary, Jesus is expecting Peter to feed them and this command applies to all pastors who have the privilege of caring for and leading others.
So, my dear friends, the answer to the question is YES and YES. I want to urge you to be careful when pastors tell you that it’s not their job to feed you. You must exercise caution. You can and you must demand that they teach you doctrine. It is a biblical requirement on their part.
And hey, if they ask for your tithes and offerings week after week, then it is in your right to also politely demand for sermons with more meat, substance, and theology.
Don’t be satisfied with just an appetizer on Sundays. Demand the main entree as well.