1st Timothy Chapter 3 is that what I wrote up their brother?
Josh? Hebrews 13.
I don't know why I had that down there.
We're going to get to Hebrews 13 but I think I think I jumped
ahead in my notes that's why I started.
I didn't think that I'd written First Timothy 13 or first
Timothy First Timothy 3, but that is where I would like you
to go first Timothy chapter 3. All right.
We talked last week, actually, before we before we even get
into what we talked about last week we need to step back and
review our our acronym for the Baptist, distinctives and so.
Well same together. All right what are they start
with B? Biblical Authority.
The Bible is the final Authority.
A autonomy. Every local church has the
ability to decide what it wants to do in that local church
without some head. Over the top of that church.
P priesthood of the believer, we don't have to go through a
priest. We can go directly to God
ourselves right T to ordinances and what are the two ordinances
Baptism and the Lord's Supper. Very good.
I individual. So Liberty s-save church
membership, very good. And then I mentioned Artie last
week, which is to office is very good and we talked about the
first one last week which was deacons very good deacons.
And so I I mentioned this last week as well that that probably
within this year we're going to be ordaining some deacons in our
church. And so I took a little bit
longer on that than I normally would or then then I had in the
past but there's still plenty more that we could talk about
what that before. Just for the sake of time, we
spent one week on it and went over a lot of different
qualifications and I'm going to piggyback off of that a little
bit. Because a lot of the
qualifications for a pastor are the same as some of the
qualifications for the deacons. But if you didn't, if you didn't
watch that last week or listen to that last week, I'd encourage
you to go back and Because some of this is going to overlap a
little bit, I'd encourage you to go back and watch that or listen
to that service and give you some good ideas on the things
that we talked about last week, but we're going to move into the
second part of that. The second office that the Bible
gives us in addition to deacons and that is pastors.
So having said that, then what is the description of the
pastor? Well, he's called a pastor, he's
called a bishop. He's called an elder now
obviously, you know you call me past.
Her boots. And that's the way that we do it
in most of our churches. But I suppose, you could say,
Elder boots or Bishop boots. It would be the same thing.
They're all interchangeable. I'm not going to come in next
week and we're as well. Bad to says, Bishop boots on it.
I'll tell you that much, but all of those are the same.
We see that in First Peter chapter 5, but we see in Acts
chapter 20, you can keep your finger there in first Timothy 3.
And if you want to go to Acts chapter 20, you can, we're going
to spend most of our time or a good bit of our time.
They're in first Timothy chapter 3, but a next chapter 20 verse
7. I mean, this is obviously Paul
and he and from my latest he sent to Ephesus and called the
Elders of the church. That would mean the position of
Elder. In addition to the position of
Pastor is not a Biblical office and and there's a there's a lot
of churches that have Elders in their Church.
They have Elder rules in their church and the term Elder is
synonymous with the term Pastor. It's synonymous with the term
Bishop. So Those are not those are not
extra offices that God has ordained as Baptist.
And this is where we are calling this, a Baptist distinctive.
We believe in to, We Believe in deacons and we believe in
pastors. If you want to call him an
elder, call him an elder. If you want to call him a
bishop, call him a bishop but a pastor of Bishop and the elder
or the same thing, pastors are given the churches as a gift to
bring members into spiritual maturity.
And we find that in Ephesians chapter 4, verse 11, through 16,
if you want to write that down, and go back and look at it
later, I'm not going to read it tonight.
Well I am going to quote fairly extensively from a book that was
written by a guy, a pastor by the name of Charles Jefferson.
He wrote a book called the minister as Shepherd now he died
in 1937 so that'll tell you how old the book is I think he wrote
the book in the early 1900s but he said this we lose something
by confining the Anglo-Saxon word Shepherd to the fields and
shutting up the Latin word Pastor in the church.
We know with our Intellect that the two words are synonymous but
we forget it often with our hearts.
It would help us to say occasionally, the Lord is my
pastor. It would lift up the word,
Pastor to hire dignity and pour into it a more Heavenly, meaning
it would Chase in and strengthen every minister of Christ, if
now, and then he would say to himself, I am a Shepherd, my
work is the hurting and feeding of sheep, so just a different
way of thinking about it, but that's exactly what that word
pastor means. It means, Shepherd, and of
course, then the You know, we don't call the Lord our pastor,
but essentially, that's what he is, he is our shepherd.
He is there to guide us to direct us, to help us grow to
help us mature. That's what he does for us.
And and essentially, I'm not saying that a pastor is the same
as Jesus Christ, but that's the term that God gives us for a
pastor is a Shepherd. So then, what are the
qualifications of a pasture? We see it, very plainly laid out
there in first, Timothy chapter 3.
And you'll notice that a lot of these qualifications, Asians are
the same as the deacons but there's a lot of them, a lot of
things that are added to that. And so again, it's not that a
pastor is better than a deacon but but always the deacons are
lay ministers if you will. And I don't even know if calling
them ministers is the right word, but they're not in that
full-time. Position of a pastor leading a
church. They are there as the Servants
of the church, to help the pastor in fulfilling the vision
and the mission of the church, which is to win, souls to
decide. Them and help them grow and be
prepared for the coming of Jesus Christ.
So as we read this, you'll probably see a lot of these.
In fact, verse 8 through 13 at First Timothy is what we kind of
focused on last week with the qualifications of a deacon.
But it says, in verse number 8, likewise must the deacons and it
and so when you say likewise, it means it's got to be likening it
to something else. Well, what that something else
is is the qualifications of a pastor.
So you'll see a lot of these that overlap.
But we're going to talk about the one.
Tonight that we didn't see last week with the deacons.
So there's there is eight or ten of them that we're not going to
look at because we looked at him last week and obviously then
they'd be the same. But let's read through this
passage. First of all, before we get into
talking about these individually because I think it helps us.
But says this in first, Timothy chapter 3 and verse number one,
this is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop,
he desireth a good work, a bishop then must be blameless.
The husband of one wife Vigilant sober.
Burr of good behavior given to hospitality apt to teach not
given to Wine. No Striker.
Not greedy of filthy lucre, but patient, not a brawler, not
Covetous one that ruleth well, his own house, having his
children in subjection with all gravity for if a man know not,
if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take
care of the Church of God? Not a novice lest being lifted
up with pride. He fall into the condemnation of
the devil. Moreover, he must have a good
report of them which are without out, lest he fall into reproach
and the snare of the devil. So there's a lot of
qualifications in order to be a pastor, right?
And a lot of those hopefully you recognize from looking at them
last week because some of them do overlap with the deacons, but
let's look at a few of these. Number one is desire and we see
that this is a true saying if a man desire the office of a
bishop that is that he should strongly want to do the work of
the ministry. I hear people say often.
Well, you know God, I felt God calling me into the ministry but
I fought it and fought and fought.
And finally got broke me down to the point where I said, all
right, if that's what you want me to do, then I'll do it.
Well, I mean, I'm not saying that that somebody couldn't be
in that position that God calls, but you ought to have a desire.
That's, that's what we're trying to teach our young people,
right? God may call them into the
ministry, he may not but we want them to have the desire to be
called, right? There's there's there's a lot of
people who are not in full-time service who would love to have
been in full-time service. And when I say that I'm saying,
you know, position of a pastor or A missionary or an evangelist
or something like that, that God just did not call but they had
that desire of. Sometimes.
People have such a strong desire that they step outside of God's
Will and become a pastor when they never should have, but that
desires should be there and if that desire to be a pastor is
not there, then that's the that really is the first
disqualification. But the second thing I think is
that he ought to know how to work from and he's out of the
office of a bishop. He desireth a good work.
It's a it's weren't being a pastor and I know.
For the hour and a half or so, on Sunday that I that I do
actually work. It's tough.
I'm telling, you know, but honestly, that's, you know,
that's the idea that a lot of people have some time.
Well, you don't do anything, you're only working hour and a
half on Sundays. That's it, right?
And sometimes that may be the way that it comes across.
But there's a whole lot of things that go on in the
background that that are necessary that are not
necessarily seen by everybody, but a pastor ought to know how
to work. He desireth a good work.
The Bible says we continue on blameless, the husband of one
wife, those are Those also overlap, but Vigilant Vigilant.
Is another one that is, he is alert, he's watchful, he's not
easily fooled, he's not, he's not gullible, he's Discerning
what the spiritual and social trends are and the religious
Trends. He's on guard for that spiritual
attack. I think that's so necessary.
Especially if a pastor is going to do the work of protecting the
flock, right? Could you imagine a Shepherd as
just laying around in the field and, you know, you know, Making
little whistles out of pieces of grass and not paying attention
to anything else that's going on around him and a wolf is coming
in and getting ready to attack the sheep.
And he's just not paying attention at all and oh we lost
another one. Oh well I guess next time I'll
try to be a little bit more awake and see what happens that
we ought to be ought to be vigilant Charles Jefferson
again, I told you, I'm going to quote extensively from from his
book. I think probably five or six
quotes I have in here, but he's good in the way that he says
this many a minister fails as a pastor because he is not
vigilant. Ain't he allows his church to be
Torn to Pieces because he's half asleep.
It took it for granted that there were no wolves, no birds
of prey no robbers and while he was drowsing the enemy arrived,
false ideas, destructive interpretations, demoralizing
teachings, came into his parish and he never knew it.
It was interested. Perhaps in literary research, he
was absorbed in the discussion contained and the last
theological quarterly and did not know what his young people
were reading, or what strange ideas have been lodged in the
heads of a group of Is leading members, there are errors which
are as Fierce as wolves and pitiless is hyenas.
They tear Faith and Hope and love to pieces and leave
churches. Once prosperous mangled in half
dead. And I think that's a great
explanation of majority of our churches today because half of
those pastors, don't even know what they believe, let alone
know that this is an error, that's trying to come into the
church and they're not teaching or preaching anything.
So what is there to protect the flock from?
Right? But a pastor ought to be
vigilant. And then it continues on sober.
We saw that one last week but then the next one that we didn't
see is of good behavior. And I think that means he ought
to be mannerly. He ought to be gentlemanly neat
and his appearance in the way that he conducts himself around
other people that ought to be you know there ought to be
something different about the pastor right.
There's there is a desire I think to try to fit in and be
one of the guys and just you know whatever else and that's a
it's a tough balance because if I'm One of the guys then that
respect that ought to be there. I can't just tell you you
respect me, right? I have to earn that respect.
I have to, I have to deserve that respect and that means that
that I'm going to have to act differently.
Another one that comes in that we didn't have last week as
hospitable. And I think that means he needs
to know how to treat and care for people, right?
There's a lot of pastors who just, I guess maybe we could say
it like this, a doctor. Couldn't know everything there
is to know about being a doctor and just have horrible bedside
manner, right? And a doctor with horrible
bedside manner, whether he knows what he's doing or not.
Most of the time you're going to say he's not a very good doctor.
Right? He might know exactly what you
need. He might give you the right
treatment. He might give you the right
medicine and you might get well under his care.
But if he's terrible at his bedside manner, you're not going
to think he's a very good doctor, right?
And I think the same thing, when I'm talking about hospitable not
Hospital, hospitable no, To treat and care for people.
The next thing is that is apt to teach which means a good teacher
skilled at public teaching, personal mentoring good at
showing explaining and helping people to understand what the
Bible is saying. Not that you can't do that thing
for yourself. But why do we have church?
If there's no need for a pastor to help you understand what the
Bible is saying here or there or give you some of that that
spiritual charge that you need. And, you know, I'm not saying
that I'm a great. Speaker or anything like that.
I really don't think that I am. It's the hardest thing for me to
do is to go back and listen to some of my own messages or watch
some of my own sermons. It's, I rarely do it.
Other than when I say, you know what, I need to see what I'm
what I'm doing, that that's annoying or what I'm saying that
is just getting under people's skin or something like that.
So I'll go back and do it every once in a while but I've been
under people who were just boring to listen to and it makes
it very, very hard to To try to follow along with what's going
on. But I think that's one of the
qualifications that God gives a pastor if he's called him is the
ability to expound the word of God, and rightly divide, the
word of Truth and then help us to be able to understand it and
digest it, right? That's that's one of the
qualifications for a pastor verse 3, not given to wine.
That's one that we saw last week but then another one is no
Striker and I think that means not violent.
I've known pastor. Was her ready to fight at the
drop of a hat? I was talking to a guy not even
all that long ago and he said that there was a kind of an
argument in their church and it was It was kind of the pastor
and a few people against some of the other people who didn't like
what was going on and everything else.
And the best are literally rolled up his sleeves and said
you want to fight and that's in the church.
He said that I'm is one just at somebody's house.
He was ready to go to blows and that's that's exactly what
that's talking about. No, Stryker means you're not
violent, doesn't mean that you can't defend yourself, it
doesn't mean that you can't defend the honor of your family
or something like that. If that's what it comes down to,
but not looking for a fight, you know, you're not the one
initiating. It, you're not the one
instigating that and I think that's what that means.
Not greedy of. Filthy lucre obviously we talked
about that least last week as well with the office of a
deacon, but that means you're not doing it for the money right
in. And there's a lot of there's a
lot of these guys out there that are doing it for the money.
I've seen, you know, And I think the televangelists are the ones
that really stick out the most with this but you know you send
me three thousand dollars in God's going to bless you.
You know man. I wish I could think of this
guy's name. He's he's one of the one of
these televangelists, real real piercing eyes.
You know, who I'm talking about. What's his name?
I know, Kevin knows his name, I can't think of it.
If you think of it, let me know. But but I saw him Kenneth
Copeland very good and he, I mean, and the audacity that
these guys have One, they're asking for money.
It just blows my mind. He said we've already got a
private jet. We use that to get back and
forth and it's God's jet. We use that in his ministry and
we use that to get back and forth across the country.
But honestly, I believe God is telling you right now that our
jet needs to be a little bit bigger.
So we can bring more people across the country with us and
God's telling you right now to give more money so that we can
buy a bigger jet. I thinking how in the world can
you get up with a straight face and beg people to give you
money? We then people like, yeah, you
know what here, take some more money for a bigger jet, you
know. But but these guys are in it for
the money and that is not, that's not what a pastor ought
to be doing. And it's one of the
qualifications for the pastor, not a not greedy of filthy
lucre, but patient. And that's another
qualification. And again, patience is a virtue
as we've heard in many many times, but that's something
that, that, that, if you're expecting to have, you know,
start a church one day and have a church of 500 people the Next.
And when that doesn't happen, you're rushing and you know just
just all over the place. You know, pulling your hair out,
trying to make it happen. Listen.
You have to be patient and you have to be patient with people.
My father-in-law used to say, I don't think you said it all the
time, but he said before, at least a couple times.
The ministry would be great if it wasn't for people.
And obviously that's kind of an ironic statement, because that's
what the ministry is, but they're people.
And if I'm not patient with the All that God's given us and I
expect, why are they not growing?
Why are they not moving? Why are they not doing this?
Rather not doing that? I wouldn't be in this very long
because people grow very, very slowly for the most part.
But but it's, that's, that's one of the qualifications for a
pastor is to be patient. And then kind of right along
with the idea of no Striker is not a brawler.
And and I think that, you know, it's not quarrel somewhere
argumentative. A striker means you're not ready
to knock somebody out at the drop of a hat, but Not a brawler
means that you're not chorus quarrelsome, not argumentative.
Some pastors are always looking to get into an argument, right.
I am not a confrontational person.
I don't like to argue. I don't like to get into
arguments but a pastor should be looking to defuse that situation
not looking to get into it and you know I honestly I find I
find a lot of times that a lot of the pastor's that come up
with strange ideas or strange, doctrines seems like are the
ones that are the are the most looking to get into an argument.
And I think it's because maybe they know that their ideas kind
of a fringe idea and you know, they know that people are going
to say things against it. I don't know exactly what that
is but it seems like that's the way that it happens.
A lot of times but a pastor ought not to be a brawler do not
I mean, you ought not to be getting arguments, you know, not
that you don't stand up for what you believe in.
I'm not saying that because there is a time when you have to
stand up for what you believe, but, but not argumentative, not
quarrelsome, not looking to get into one of those arguments, and
then we see this Well, we kind of saw this, which verse four,
and five very much have to do with what we talked about last
week with the deacons, but ruled his own house.
Well, having his children in subjection with all gravity for
if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take
care of the Church of God is like a?
That's a rhetorical question really, right?
It's not asking for an answer. It's saying if you can't even
rule your own house, how can you rule the house of God, right?
And I think, I mean that puts a lot of pressure on the pastors
kids because they know that That well, if I mess up Dad's
Ministry is done, right? And and and to a certain extent
that's I mean I suppose that that's the way that it is.
But I don't expect my kids or any pastors kids to be perfect.
They're going to make mistakes there.
They're going to be kids. They're going to have problems
from time to time. But how are you handling those
problems? How are you dealing with those
problems? Are you dealing with those
problems? Because again, if you can't rule
your own house and how can you, how can you take care of?
Church of God. Then you also see a not a novice
lest being lifted up with pride. He fall into the condemnation of
the devil and I think that simply means that is a mature.
Christian is not a brand new Christian you don't get saved on
Friday and become a pastor on Sunday, right?
Not that. You can't go tell everybody
that, you know, about Jesus Christ.
That's exactly what knit and did when he got saved, right?
He got saved in the next thing, you know, he was on the zoom
calls and all these talking to all of his family, he wasn't
preaching to them, he was sharing them, the gospel.
Gospel, right? Sharing the gospel with them and
it took several years for him to get to the point.
And honestly had he not been, you know, the time constraint to
get back to India because of the job and everything else.
We probably would have kept around here a little bit longer
to continue training him but obviously as a Christian he grew
very, very fast because he had that desire and he had a lot of
that Christian background and everything it already anyway.
And when he got saved and God opened his eyes up to all of
those things, it was, it was very easy for him to say.
A while. Now, all of this, that I've
learned my whole life that I had the wrong idea of make sense,
and of course, he applied himself very, very much and was
taking classes and doing all kinds of different things.
But a pastor ought, not to be a new Christian.
It's, it's hard enough. Just being a pastor.
When you have been a Christian for a long time or when you have
grown up in and everything else, let alone to be trying to lead
people spiritually. When you don't even know the
direction you're going yourself. So a mature Christian not a
novice or a new creation and The last one we see there in verse
number 7. Moreover you must have a good
report of them which are without lest he fall into reproach and
the snare of the devil and I think that just means that he
has a good reputation in the community.
There are a lot of businessmen who go to church who as we
talked about this somewhat last week with the deacons who don't
have a good reputation in the community.
They've worked so many people off in their business and
they've done so much damage in that way that when somebody
finds out what you're a pest, And you still, can you treat
people that way, right? Y'all have a good reputation
outside of the church as well and again sometimes you have a
bad reputation because you stand up for the truth and they don't
like what you're saying and that's different.
It doesn't mean that you have to compromise for the sake of
having that good reputation. But but at the very least,
people ought to be able to save that man.
Is honest that man at least stands up for what he believes
in that man. At least treats people, right?
That man. At least and nothing bad that
they can say about the person who they're talking about.
So we're good. Reputation in the community
which brings us then to the role of the pastor.
And I don't want to take too much longer on this.
I preached a message on this, not all that long ago.
Maybe beginning of December or end of end of November somewhere
around there, I think, but turn over to Hebrews chapter 13.
This is where I jumped ahead of myself a little bit in the notes
there on the PowerPoint, but the role of the pastor, the first
job that the pastor has, and I say a job because he says, he
desireth a good work, it's not just in a position to be filled.
It's a job to be done. It's it takes work.
But the role of the pastor of the job of the pastor is.
First of all, to lead the church.
Hebrews chapter 13 and verse. Number 7, Remember them which
have the rule over you, who have spoken unto, you the word of God
whose Faith, follow considering the end of their conversation.
Now, what he's saying there is whose Faith follow considering
the end of the convert, their conversation, that work
conversation is talking about our lifestyle, right?
You look at the way he lives his life and you ought to follow
that person. As he follows Christ verse 17,
obey them, that have the rule over you and submit yourselves
for. They watch for your souls as
they that must must give account that.
They may do it with joy and not with grief.
For that is unprofitable, for you.
And I've mentioned this many times before, but I'm going to
give an account to God for the direction that this church goes
in. And if I'm too weak to lead the
church and the church goes in a direction that is weakening the
church that I'm the one that's going to have to answer to God
for that right now, you might answer to God for the way that
you for your role in that if you were one of the ones that's
really pushing. Thing for the weakening of the
church, but the Bible doesn't hold the church.
People responsible for the direction of the church goes in.
He holds the pasta responsible for that, and again, it's the
responsibility then of those who are in the church to follow that
leadership and to obey them that have the rule over you.
And I know that sounds like a dictator up here, saying, you
obey me, but I'm not. The one that said it.
God's doing that said that right obey them.
That have the rule over you and submit yourselves.
For they watch for your souls, I know a lot of strong men who
will stand on the promise of Ephesians chapter 5 and chapter
6. That my wife is going to follow
me. I'm the leader in my home, she
better submit to me who won't submit to their Pastor when the
Bible. Very clearly says that, that's
what they ought to be doing for, they watch for your souls as
they, that must give account that, they may do it with joy
and not with grief but that's unprofitable some profitable for
you. When you don't do that, is what
he's saying. But how great for me to be able
to stand before God and say, Say, this is the direction that
we went in with our church, these people followed they
submitted and God blessed it. That's, that's exactly what he's
talking about because I want to be able to give an account with
joy and not with grief. I want to be able to say yes, we
went in the direction you wanted us to go not in the opposite
direction, right? So how does the pastor leave?
The church will? First of all he has to lead by
example turn over to 1st Peter, chapter 5, what we're going to
look at a couple different versions versus there and First
Peter chapter 5. But the pastor ought to lead, by
example. And I think that's first and
foremost. Right First, Peter chapter 5,
and verse. Number 3, says this, Neither as
being Lords over God's Heritage but being and samples to the
flock. Now, what is he talking about
when you go back and look at verse number 2, which we're
going to read in, just a second and these two kind of go hand in
hand with each other. But I ought to be leading the
church. By example, I can't say, do as I
say, not as I do, this is what the Bible says you better do it.
Now, I'm going to live my life, how I want to live it, don't
watch what I'm doing at home, don't watch what I'm doing when
I'm at church, don't watch what I'm doing out in the community.
You do. What I say, not what I do it's
that's that's not it's not going to work till lead that way,
right? And so I've said this many times
before as well, if I want you to jump a foot I've got to jump
three feet, right? If I'm going to get up and
preach against movies with language and movies with, you
know, for lack of better term pornography.
And it, I mean, people don't call it that anymore, but that's
what it is, right? I'm going to get up and preach
against those things. Then I better not be doing those
things in my own home. I better have a standard set
very high in my own home and we do which we try as much as we
can, you know? And well, that means you can't
watch any movies. Exactly.
I couldn't tell you any of the actors other than unless they
were in some, you know, some big news story or something like
that, that came out because of something else that they did.
And it's not it's not a bragging thing.
It's a thing that I'm saying I'm telling you to do this but if
all I'm doing is telling you to to do it and I go home and live
it. Number one I've got a family
that's watching me they hear everything that I say here and
if they go home and they see me living a completely different
Lifestyle. The first thing they're going to
say is we'll Dead's a hypocrite doesn't mean anything you say
anything you want to in church, right?
You can you can pretend that you're living your life.
Any way that you want to ensure church, but you better be living
at home too. And and so I have a
responsibility to lead the flock of God but I better be leading
by example. Charles Jefferson said this, a
Shepherd cannot shine. He cannot cut a figure.
His work must be done in obscurity, the things which he
does do the things which he does do not make interesting copy.
His work calls for continuous self-effacement is a form of
service which eats up a man's life.
It makes a man old before his time.
Every Good Shepherd. Lays down his life for the sheep
for men is dependent on the Applause of the crowd.
He ought never to enter the ministry.
And again, what a great statement Man, that's why I use
so many of the statements that he made in that book because his
great statements. But again, does that limit what
I'm what I'm allowed to do some things that may not even
necessarily be sinful but because I'm, I've got to hold a
standard and because I've got to be the example, there's a lot of
things that I can't do that that I probably could if I wanted to,
but I don't because I don't because of how it's going to be
perceived and because of how people who are watching my life.
And what I do are going to follow, right?
And and what you allow in just a little bit, the people are going
to do an excess, right? So if I say, well, oh man, you
got to see this movie. It was, it was funny.
There's a couple parts in there that you got to kind of watch
and really, you know, it, they're not great but, you know,
but the movie is, it was so funny.
Well, guess what? Everybody's going to do, number
one, everybody's going to go watch that movie, they're going
to see. And now they're going to be
looking for the parts that were bad and it because now I
mentioned that there was a couple parts that were not
great. So now wonder what parts he was
talking about that were not great, right?
But then they're going to say, well the pastor, watch this, so
nothing wrong with that. I mean, yeah, the one that he
was talking about only had two customers in it.
This one has eight but it's only 8:00, right?
And that's what happens. And if I'm not leading by
example but what you what you allow, the people are going to
do in excess and it's the same thing with my family.
What about what I allow and just small amounts.
My kids are probably going to do an excess later on so I have to
lead by example but also we see this in First Peter 5 verse
number two, that I have to lead by taking oversight feed the
flock of God, which is among you taking the oversight thereof,
not by constraint but willingly, not for filthy lucre, but of a
ready mind. And again, this is speaking
directly to pastors, right? My job is to feed the flock and
I have to take the oversight. What does he say not by
constraint but willingly that means somebody should not have
to force me. To lead, somebody should not
have to force me to take the oversight of the church.
I ought to do it willingly not by constraints.
What he's saying? The pastor has to exercise his
leadership. That's the idea that's found in
the title of Bishop. The titled Bishop means
overseer, that's my job. It's my responsibility.
To the pastor is the overseer and the inspector of all the
Ministries and all the workers and and everything, that goes
everything that involves the work of the church.
If I'm not taking oversight of it and making sure.
Or that it's going in the right direction.
Then I'm not doing my job. Not following what I've been
commanded to do, but that's what leadership is that's
Administration. That's casting the vision it's
coming up with the plans. It's figuring out ways that we
can get more people into church. It's figuring out ways that we
can get the gospel out to more people and trying to help our
church to grow numerically and spiritually that falls on me.
And if I'm just waiting for something to happen and hoping
that somebody will come along and help out with that, then I'm
failing. Failing in my responsibility, I
have to take the oversight. No Pastor can lead just because
he's the pastor, right? He has to take charge and if he
doesn't, somebody else is going to take the lead, we see that
happens. So often in families, right?
I've said that many many times. It's a husband's responsibility
to lead the home and the husband doesn't lead his home.
Then the wife especially if she's got any kind of type, A
personality is going to step in and take that lead role and
that's not the way that God designed it.
It's the same thing that's true in a church, right?
What I talked about this last week.
Why is it that in a lot of churches that you see the
deacons just run the entire church?
Because the pastor is not willing to step up and take the
oversight and if he didn't take the lead, then there's always
somebody else would say well will lead if you want.
Right but that's not the way God designed it.
That God designed for the pastor to take the oversight, strong
leadership results in a strong Church.
Weak leadership results in a week church.
And when you have weak leadership, what you see
happening. So often is same thing that
we've always talked about. Out though the music gets
weakened and then the standards get weekend and then everything
else just Falls right behind it and the whole church is weakened
because there's no strong leadership.
Sometimes a pastor that leads authoritatively is accused of
dictatorship. And I suppose, that is something
that needs to be the pastor has to be careful.
Not to allow that to happen. I've seen many churches where
they, where they did have a pastor who was a dictator.
But most, you know, most supervisors or for man A job.
They're not looked at as being dictators if they take that
leadership role and they tell their guys what to do and what
not to do and everything else, right?
That's looked at as being a good supervisor and and I think the
same thing with a pastor who's leading in a Biblical manner,
should be considered and that same thing, right?
Not a dictator just because you're making sure that things
are done, right. But the job of the pastor is to
Shepherd, the flock and I kind of mentioned it already but
watch for enemies. Watch for Or wrong Doctrine,
watch for attack, defend the Sheep, heal the sick, and
wounded sheep Comfort, the sick, and wounded sheep help them to
get through those things, you know, free, the Trap shaped love
the sheep and, you know, that means many times sharing in life
events and and earning that trust and it's something that I
try to do, I'm not, you know, I'm not saying that I'm the
greatest at it but most everybody that spent time in the
hospital, I've been there with you. you I my when my mom was
sick And she had cancer and was going in for Brian.
And I surprised her. She didn't know we were coming
up there, but we got up to the hospital on the day that she was
going in for surgery. And we showed up at the entrance
when my dad dropped her off and she was just really shocked to
see us. But you know, who else was
there, their pastor? And he sat there for basically,
the entire time that she was Insurgent.
I think she was in surgery for three or four hours, then it was
another hour or two after that, before the doctor came out to
say, hey, this is how everything went, he set there the entire
time. He was doing some work and
things like that there in the in the waiting room, but he was
there for probably five or six hours and that meant a lot to
me. And I know it meant a lot to
them because he was there for them and, you know, it's just
something that, you know, this is not as if it was just a job.
Then that's not something that you're going to do.
It's a calling, it's a, it's a passion, it's a desire.
And Charles Jefferson said it this way, it's by no means easy
for a young man to become a shepherd.
And he ought not be If you cannot become one in a day or a
year and Order, can he can be without difficulty of reformer,
he can become at once. In criticism of politics and
Society, he can do a flourishing business, the first Sunday, but
a Shepherd, he can become only slowly and by patiently
traveling the way of the Cross. And it's exactly the mindset
that I have. And, you know, I don't expect
to, you know, on day one, especially as a brand new Young
pastor and I know, Years in this position going on seven.
I guess is not all that long to be in that in that position, but
it takes time and it takes, it takes being there.
It takes working through people's issues with them.
And there's, there's so many things that, that, that come in,
that I cannot let get out, right.
It takes earning that trust the same way that it, that it takes
earning a trust in a marriage relationship.
One time of breaking that trust is all it takes for somebody to
never trust. Just you again and so it's a lot
of work and a lot of time and a lot of effort to Shepherd the
flock, but that is the pastor's responsibility which brings us
then. So first of all, he's to leave
the church. Secondly and there's only two
here is to feed the church. Turn over to Acts chapter 20.
Acts chapter 20, and I'm going to cover these things pretty
quickly because we're running out of time.
I don't want to keep you too long tonight, but Acts chapter
20 and verse number 28, says this.
Take heed therefore unto yourselves.
And to all the flock over the which the Holy Ghost hath made
you overseers to feed the Church of God, which he hath purchased
with his own blood, honestly, we see both of those ideas lead,
right? Bye-bye, he made you an overseer
to feed the Church of God. Which he hath purchased with his
own blood. You're not too far from there.
So, turn over to John 21 if you will.
John 21. And again, this is this is Jesus
speaking here, talking to Peter in particular.
But knowing that, these were the men that were going to become
the apostles. And, and essentially, the
pastor's of the church is that God called them to to pasture.
But John chapter 21 verse number 15.
So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon son
of Jonas. Lovest thou me more than these.
He said unto Ba Lord thou knowest that I love thee.
He said unto him, feed my Lambs say it to him again the second
time Simon son of Jonas lovest thou me He said unto him.
Yea Lord thou knowest, that I love thee, you said unto him,
feed my sheep, he saith unto him.
The third time, Simon son of Jonas.
Lovest, thou me, Peter was grieved because he said unto him
the third time. Lovest thou me and he said unto
him. Lord thou knowest all things.
Thou, knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him.
Feed my sheep verily, verily, I say unto thee.
When I was young now, glitter, Gerdes thyself' and walk his,
whether thou wouldest, but when thou shalt be old, Thou shalt
stretch. Each for thy hands and another
shall gird thee and carry thee. Whither, thou wouldest not this.
He spake signifying by what death by what death he should
glorify God. And by the way, Peter ended up
giving his life and became one of the martyrs.
And Peter was set to be crucified in the same way that
they crucified Jesus. And this is not in the Bible,
this is just what we know from history.
And Peter said, I'm not worthy to be crucified in the same way
that my Lord was crucified and he asked them to crucify him
upside down. They did and that's how Peter
died. But that's that that is, you
know, the whole, the whole point of that is to feed the church,
feed my sheep. He says, how does he feed it
feed? The church WIll number one, and
you can turn to as many of these passages as you can.
We're gonna be in Acts chapter 6, give himself to the ministry
of the word, Acts chapter 6. Hopefully, you'll recognize the
passage we talked about last week which is where the first
deacons were called. And in Acts chapter 6, one of
the reasons they needed to call the deacons, we was because they
were missing out on Taking care of the widows and on some of the
ministration of the church. And the reason why was actually
over 6 and verse 4 but we will give ourselves continually to
prayer and to the ministry of the word.
That's how a pastor can feed the sheep.
The second way is to hold fast the faithful word and I'm just
taking these directly from the Bible.
We see that in Titus Chapter 1 and verse number 9, Titus 1
verse 9 says holding fast, the faithful word as he hath been
taught that he may be able by sound Doctrine.
Both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers but hold fast,
the faithful word, right? If I.
And I'm saying, I because, obviously, I'm the pastor and
this is my responsibilities, is that, this is the, this is what
God's called me to do, but if I waffle on everything and well,
you know, I know the people don't really like this very
much. So, let's bend it a little bit
and change the word of God, a little bit.
And let's, let's, you know, we don't need the harsh words in
the King James. Let's bend it a little bit and
go to one of these other versions.
And, you know, It to the people a little bit easier, and
whatever else. I mean, whatever it happens to
be, but that's not holding fast. The faithful word, the third
thing, then to feed the church would be to preach the word.
That's why I have to spend time, studying and praying and
preparing, and preaching sermons second, Timothy chapter 4, and
verse number to preach the word be instant in season, out of
season reprove rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and
Doctrine. Boy, if most people in most
churches saw that today, And I don't know if I guess it's just
not being taught, but, oh, you can't say mean things like that.
You can't you can't preach hard anymore, right?
Well, that's what the Bible is saying.
Preach the word be instant in season out of season which means
be ready. Always to preach when need be
but reprove rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and Doctrine.
I mean that does those are harsh words, right?
I mean, rebuke somebody reprove somebody.
Well, you can't tell me that I'm wrong.
You can't tell me this, you can't tell me that.
And again, I mean, I think the second half of that is just, as
important as the first half, but with exhort with all
long-suffering and Doctrine, right?
You ought to be kind in the way that you get it across, but it
has to be gotten across and it has to be done.
And those are, those are not the the fun parts of being a pastor,
right? The last thing I want to do is
make people mad. The last thing that I want to do
is have people storming out in mad at me and angry with me and
whatever else. But the last thing that I want
to do, before I hurt your feelings is to hurt God's
feelings and not preach the truth, right?
Not preach. The word as the Bible says, the
fourth thing then. To do the work of an evangelist.
It's not a job that belongs just to me but it belongs.
First to me, if I'm to lead you in it.
Second Timothy chapter 4 and verse number five.
Be thou it but but watch thou in all things endure afflictions do
the work of an evangelist make. Full proof of thy.
Ministry was the work of an evangelist?
Let's get the message of the Gospel outright.
And evangelist is a proclaimer, right?
Somebody who proclaims the message of the gospel and then,
and Then be a wise counselor. That's the way to feed the
church and that idea is found in the word Elder the word Elder
means counselor. Let me give you some final
thoughts here. As we close them back over.
The first Timothy chapter 5 We're going to get to this in a
second. Number one, the qualifications
for pastors, reflect the immense importance of this ministry,
right? We looked at 10 at 11 that were,
in addition to the ten or so that we looked at last week for
the deacons, that's about 20 or 21 qualifications in order to be
a pastor. Well, that eliminates so many
people you can't do you know. Well that's that's the
importance of that role. It's not just something that you
say well, you know, I think I'll be a pastor today.
You know what? I'm Bill done being a painter.
I think I'm just going to go be a pastor.
All right, I mean that's not it's there because it's number
one, it's a calling but there's a lot of requirements that are
on somebody who wants that work. Number two pastors, are the
spiritual under Shepherds that God calls to take care of his
flock. Charles Jefferson again.
One of the secrets of the fascination of Shepherd as a
title. Is that the word carries a
straight to Christ himself Associates us at once with him
so far as the new Testament tells us, Jesus never called
himself, a priest, or a preacher, or a Rector, or a
clergyman, or a bishop or an elder, but he liked to think of
himself as a Shepherd. I think it's great.
Number three, so full-time position That's essential to the
well-being of every local church.
If I don't, if I don't use the majority of my time and I have
other things that I do, I'm a chaplain.
I do some of this wood working things on the side, but
everybody that I ever do anything for whether it be wood
working or whether it be with the chaplaincy or anything else
knows that the church comes first, And if something comes up
that requires my attention for something in the church.
They know that, that's where my first responsibility is, they
know, they can't call me out on Sundays, they know mother can't
call me out on Wednesdays. There's times when I can't be
called out and I have that very plain for them to see because
I'm not going to skip Wednesday night because I got called out
as a Chaplain. You know, I'm not going to skip
visitation on Saturday because I'm working on a wood project
and I got to get this thing finished, right?
That is, this is my primary job my primary responsibilities and
I try to take it very seriously. Number four, There's absolutely
no warrant in scripture for the hierarchies that evolved in some
denominations or groups of churches.
Every local church should have their own Pastor, right?
Larger churches. Very well may have more than one
Pastor on their staff that helps there should still be one the
lead. Pastor One Pastor that oversees
everything, but but the larger a church gets its it does become
necessary to have assistant pastors.
If you will, who help in certain areas in certain aspects, but
no, Pastor should control group. Oops of churches or
denominations what you see in a lot of places.
But since we as Baptist believe that there are only two offices,
don't clutter up, the flow charts with, you know, trustees
trustee boards, and Elder boards, and committee boards.
And all of these other things that you see, in a lot of these
other churches, right? Pastor and deacons.
Those are, those are the two offices that we see that God
give us in the church. And then, the last thing is
this, and, but the scripture makes it clear that Pastor
should be remunerated wherever possible.
Second, Timothy chapter 5, Verse 17.
Let the elders that rule, we'll be counted worthy of double
honor. Especially they who Labour in
the word and Doctrine for the scripture saith.
Thou shalt not muzzle. The ox that treadeth out, the
corn and the laborer is worthy of his reward.
Now that word honor here can mean respect, but it means wages
and a local church should should fully appreciate the value of
the Pastoral Ministry by recognizing that, we see another
lengthy passage in 1st Corinthians chapter 9, that Paul
was talking to the church at Corinth.
This chapter chapter 9 verse 7 through 14.
But somebody said this and I, you know, obviously this is I'm
not saying it because, you know, it's talking about the wages of
a pastor is always a weird topic to talk about because I'm how
much you going to pay me now for this, right?
But somebody said a church that will not adequately support
their pastoral staff, will not Prosper.
Spiritually. And I think that's, I think
that's, I think that's a worthy saying.
But Second Corinthians chapter 9 and verse number six says this,
But this I say he would soweth sparingly shall reap also
sparingly and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also
bountifully. And I think that principle Works
in any aspect of our lives, right?
We give to God, he's going to give back to us.
We believe in pastors and deacons we don't we don't have
any deacons yet. I may not be too far off for us,
but we do have a pastor and, and I'm not better than any of you.
God doesn't love me more than he loves you.
I'm not perfect. I try to be real.
I'm not perfect. But I do Genuinely care for you,
and for your family and for the church and for the Lord and I'm
not perfect. But I do take my job seriously
and the day that I stop taking my job seriously as the day that
I was step out of the ministry, right?
It's a very serious job, it's a very serious business and the
same way that God does not play with our lives.
I should not be playing. With the lives of the people
that God's given us here in this church and when we have deacons,
I pray that they'll do the same. But what a tremendous
responsibility and not that other churches don't have only
pastors and deacons but a lot of churches, add a lot of a lot of
offices that we just don't find in the Bible, right?
And that's one of the things that makes Baptist distinct not
that we're the only church that does Baptist.
I mean, that does pastors and deacons, but that is one of the
things that does set us apart with all These other things is
that we believe in two offices and their the offices of the
pastor. The Deacon, right.
Let's let's review one more time before we pray and finish up
here. So the Baptist distinctives we
have one more next week but B is the authority.
A pea T. Which are?
Baptism. Lord's Supper.
I Individual soul, Liberty s-save church membership and the
one that we just finished the tea.
Two offices, which are pastor and Deacon.
The last one I'm going to Spill the Beans.
It is separation of church and state and that's a big
distinction. The Baptist's were the ones who
basically made that happen in the United States.
It was a Baptist pastor. I don't want to get ahead of
myself, but it was a Baptist pastor who got that.
That the first of the in the Bill of Rights that basically
the separation of church and state.
And we're going to be looking at that next time.
Next week. All right, let's pray and then
we'll be dismissed. Father, we love you, give me.
Thank you for your word. I thank you for the truth that
we find in it. God, I pray that you help
everyone of us to fulfill to the greatest of our ability, the
role that you've given to us in this church.
And God, I pray that we'd be doing everything we can to get
the message of the Gospel Out to Get Lost Sinner's in and to
disciple them, those they get saved disciple them to See them
grow and mature in their Christian faith and God I pray
that you would just continue to help us as we try to reach this
area for you. I pray that you'd send a Revival
here to our church that it would, it would spark something
so great. That We can't help but people
can't help but notice that there's something going on here
and what we have, that's the desire.
So God I pray that you would just be with those who are still
sick. I know that most people are
finishing up with that and I'm thankful for that but I pray
that you just helped him to get well and be able to be back here
for church on Sunday. Thank you for all that you do
for us in Jesus name. Amen.