Having emphasized the
importance of prayer as a "first of all" priority (2:1) Paul moves
into the qualifications for leaders din the church. That is a natural
progression in light of what the pastor
of prayer E.M. Bounds wrote about leaders:
Prayer
is the mightiest agent to advance God’s work. Only praying hearts and hands can
do God’s work. Prayer succeeds when all
else fails. Prayer has won great victories and rescued,
with notable triumph, God’s saints when every other hope was gone. Men who know how to pray are the greatest boon God
can give to earth. They are the richest gift earth
can offer heaven. Men who know how to use this weapon of prayer are God’s best soldiers, His mightiest leaders.
Praying
men are God’s chosen leaders. The distinction between the leaders that God brings to the front to lead and bless
His people and those leaders who owe their position of leadership to a worldly, selfish, unsanctified selection
is this: God’s leaders are preeminently
men of prayer. Prayer distinguishes them and is the simple, divine attestation of their call, the seal of
their separation by God. Whatever other graces or gifts they may have, the gift and grace of prayer towers above
them all. In whatever else they may
share or differ, in the gift of prayer they are one. [1]
I begin this section with the
reminder of how important prayer is to leadership because when we study through
this chapter and see the qualifications set out by Paul for leadership it can
be a source of great intimidation to the one who desires to be a leader in God's
church. Attempting to live by the qualifications of leadership found in this
chapter without prayer and in one's own strength will inevitably
result in frustration, futility and failure. Prayer is a declaration of
dependence on God. God's callings are His enablings. God never calls us to
something He won't enable us to do. If we find we are unable it means we either
misinterpreted God's calling or we are prayerless and not depending on God.
Being a leader apart from prayer is a daunting and discouraging endeavor. If
there is any hope of living by the leadership qualifications listed in this
chapter it is found in full surrender before God and a steadfast declaration of
dependence on Him in prayer. The leader that wants to be mighty, greatly used
by God to accomplish His will for His glory must first and foremost be a leader
who prays.
Another introductory word
should be stated on the application of these leadership qualifications. Paul
specified in 1 Timothy 2 that "I do not permit a woman to teach or to have
authority over a man" (2:12). In 1 Timothy 3 we continue the context of
ministry in the church. In the church
Paul prohibits women teaching men or being in a position of authority over men.
(Remember, this is in regards to the spiritual workings within the church not
the secular circumstances found in the world.) While in chapter 3 the emphasis
is on men as leaders it should be noted that women have opportunity to serve as
leaders in areas of ministry where they can lead and not cross the line of Paul's
prohibition. Ministry to women needs women leaders. Ministry to children is
another area where women can lead.
These leadership
qualifications have an application outside the church too in that the character
qualities mentioned by Paul in this chapter will really benefit and bless
leaders and those they lead wherever they are applied. If you want to be a good
leader and if you especially want to be a good leader that brings glory to God,
then apply these 1 Timothy 3 leadership qualifications to your life.
The Qualifications of Bishop
1 Timothy 3 (NKJV)
This is a faithful saying: If a
man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A
bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate,
sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not
given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome,
not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his
children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does
not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of
God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall
into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he
must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into
reproach and the snare of the devil.
Who
is a leader? What makes them leadership material especially in the church? What
qualities should a pastor have? What about a church leader or church Board
member? What qualities and characteristics make a leader a good leader in the
sight of God. These verses answer present us with answers to these questions.
This is a faithful saying:
Since
God measures success first and foremost on faithfulness (1 Cor. 4:2), it is not
surprising that Paul introduces his teaching on the characteristics and
qualities of leaders by saying what follows is a "faithful saying"
(Greek pistos). What follows are
words that are true of faithful servants
and leaders of God. And when these things are found in those who lead they will
also facilitate the growth of faith and spiritual fruit in those they lead.
If a man desires the position of a
bishop, he desires a good work.
Leadership begins with a desire to lead. The word "desires"
(Greek oregomai) means to stretch forward for, to reach out for, to
yearn for, strive for, desire. To desire is to aspire; to want to fulfill a
calling on one's life.
It's
never a good idea to put a person in leadership who doesn't have the heart for
it. It's not wrong to have a desire to be in a leadership position if you are willing to pay the price to lead.
Problems in leadership arise when someone is forced into a position who
really has no desire to be in leadership or
a person who wants to be in leadership, but does not qualify, forces
themselves into leadership. Both of these situations end up being the devil's
playground and more often than not people get hurt, the church is divided and
diminished, the bride of Christ has mud slung on her white wedding gown, and
the Lord's name is blasphemed.
Those
who aspire to leadership in the church must have pure motives. Remember,
"the purpose of the commandment is love from a pure heart, from a good
conscience, and from a sincere faith" (1:5) and that should apply to those
with a desire to be a leader.
The
position being desired is "bishop"
(Greek episkope) or overseer or inspector. While today we
think of a bishop as one who has attained a certain higher than local
overseeing position in the church, when the term is used here is simply refers
to a spiritual leader of a local church like
a pastor, elder, or bishop. Episkope
really can be used interchangeably to refer to these church positions (e.g.
Acts 20:17-18).
Since
there is a distinction made between a "bishop" and "deacon"
in what follows it does seem as though Paul begins by speaking of the
qualifications of the person who is a local pastor or in a position that
involves the teaching of God's word ("able to teach" - 3:2). Someone put in a position of being a deacon
can be moved by God to a position that is more like a bishop that involves
ministering God's word in some way. Stephen is an example of this (Acts 6-7).
For this reason we should always view our station in life (e.g. homemaker,
school teacher, doctor, nurse, lawyer, police, landscaper, construction, clerk,
etc.) as a platform from which God can use us to share His word.
The desire to lead must be a holy desire to serve. The one who "desires" (Greek oregamai) the position of bishop, "desires" (Greek epithumeo) or desires, longs for "a
good" (Greek kalos) beautiful, good, advantageous, or noble "work" (Greek ergon) task, occupation,
work, or action. Having a desire to be a pastor or someone who ministers
God's word is a beautiful and noble thing. But it is "work" and will
require effort. Work implies service. The
one who desires to lead needs to have a servant's heart. James states that
a teacher of God's word will be held to a higher accountability (James 3:1).
Such an aspiration should not be sought without ample prayerful seeking of the
Lord's confirmation.
Spiritual leaders need to be men of the word of God. The one aspiring to be a spiritual leader needs to be
devoted to prayer and the ministry of God's word (Acts 6:4). We have already
touched on the importance of prayer to the spiritual leader. But equally
important is that the spiritual leader be a man of the word of God. In his
second letter to Timothy Paul exhorts Timothy to "Be diligent to present
yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 2:15). If you are going to be one
who ministers the word of God you are going to have to learn to be a reader. Up through high school I read one single book
- Beowolf the Warrior. I chose that
book because I was in a bind and it was the shortest one I could find. Before I
knew the Lord I hated to read. But once
I came to the Lord and He called me to be a Pastor/Teacher He put in my an
insatiable appetite to consume His word. Consuming His word in prayerful study
led to reading other books. Soon I experienced a life transformation where
slowly but surely I became a reader; a reader of God's word and a reader of
books. A heart and desire to be a spiritual leader is accompanied by a desire
to read.
It
is almost impossible to be an effective spiritual leader without reading. Those
too lazy to apply themselves to reading and studying God's word as well as
secondary works bring their "calling" into question. This doesn't
mean the spiritual leader has to necessarily be a college undergraduate or
graduate student with degrees. It does mean that they will surrender any
inabilities or weaknesses in the area of reading and study they feel they have
and develop their study skills in order to adequately fulfill the call of God
on their lives. You don't have to be a scholar to be a spiritual leader, but
you do have to be a student. Disciples are learners. Teachers can only teach
what they themselves have learned. You can't pass on what you don't have. There
are no shortcuts or excuses for being a "dumb" spiritual leader. In
fact no "spiritual leader" has the right to lead if they are
"dumb" and ignorant of God's word.
Anyone
aspiring to be a spiritual leader should ask themselves some foundational
questions: Do I have a heart to
serve? Does my devotional life reflect one called by God to leadership? Do I
regularly pray? Is what I put my hand to do for the Lord fruitful? Do I love
God's word, study it, know it, share it, and am able to teach it accurately and
in context? Do I regularly read through God's word? Am I living a holy life? Is
there anything in my life that would discredit the name of Jesus? Is there
evidence that God's hand and anointing is on my life? Has He opened doors of
opportunity for me to serve? Do I have a servant's heart? Is my desire a carnal
lust (i.e. a delusion of grandeur) or an obedient humble response to God's call
on my life? Do others sense and see God's calling on my life? These are a few
of the questions that should be asked and answered by the one who desires the
good work of being a spiritual overseer. (See below Are You Called to be a Pastor?)
2 A bishop
then must be
The
verb "must be" (Greek dei) conveys the idea that what follows must be, is necessary, and has to be.
What follows are not maybes or options. These are the things that need
to be a part of the spiritual leader's character.
As
we examine these qualifications we should also mention that God's grace is the essential enabling fuel
at work in a spiritual leader. In another New Testament letter Paul
testified, "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward
me was not in vain; but I labored more abundantly than they all, yet not I, but
the grace of God which was with me" (1 Cor. 15:10). Leaders serve by God's
grace. When we think of grace it should focus us on Jesus. Let's pause a moment
to look at Jesus and His leaders.
Jesus is our Model in birthing leaders. Jesus is our model and pattern in all we do. When we
look at Jesus we see our pattern for how leaders come to be. Before we look at
what a leader is we need to look at how a leader gets to the point of being
considered as a potential leader. Jesus gives us our pattern for the process of
leadership selection.
Jesus prayed leaders up. The first thing we see in the genesis of leadership is
Jesus prayed about selecting leaders. Jesus
"went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to
God" (Luke 6:12). Jesus didn't
select leaders based on their personality or whether or not He liked them. He
also didn't base His selection of leaders on their secular achievements. Jesus
chose leaders after He sought the Father's will in prayer about it. Considering
someone for leadership is something that must
begin in prayer. It is in prayer that the process of leader selection
begins. Choosing leaders prayerlessly will only lead to powerless ill-placed
leaders who lack the anointing of God. Jesus "continued all night in
prayer to God" as He considered who He would choose as His leaders. If
Jesus the Son of God spent the night in prayer before choosing His leaders.
should we do any less?
Jesus chose His leaders. After Jesus prayed it states, "And when it was
day, He called His disciples to Himself; and from them He chose twelve whom He
also named apostles" (Luke 6:13). Jesus chose His leaders from His disciples. The pool from which Jesus
chose His leaders was among those who were "disciples" or follower-learners. Those who had already
shown an evidence of commitment and willingness to follow and learn from Jesus
were those He chose leaders from. Jesus also "chose" (Greek ekglegomai) or elected, selected, or chose His leaders. He did not put His choices
up for a vote and then follow the consensus of the other disciples. No, He
prayed about it and then chose those who would be His apostles.
In
the local church there are various systems of government that have been put in
place. Some want to run the church like a democracy. But if we choose leaders
by election only then we are really not following the pattern Jesus established
for us. There is a place for a congregation to choose people for positions in
the church (e.g. Acts 6). But to Timothy Paul said, "And the things that
you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who
will be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). Paul instructed Titus
to appoint spiritual overseers in the cities where churches had been
established (Titus 1:5). When it comes to choosing leaders to assist in
overseeing the ministry of the church it would appear the task is something the
local pastor as the shepherd of the flock, through much prayer, is in authority
to do.
Who did Jesus choose to be leaders? The disciples were unlearned and not always in tune
with what Jesus was saying (Matthew 11:25; Mark 8:13-21; Acts 4:13). The
disciples who were fishermen were probably course in their language (Mark
1:16-20). Let’s look at a few of these chosen ones of Jesus to see some other
problems they had:
- Peter was
impulsive and violent (John 18:10-11); was told by Jesus, “Get behind me
Satan!” (Matthew 16:21-23). He said he would stay by Jesus side no matter
what (Matthew 26:33) then cursed out someone who said he was one of Jesus‘
disciples, denied Jesus three times and ran (Matthew 26:69-75).
- James and John
– Jesus called them “Boanerges” or “sons of thunder.” Either one of their
parents had a bad temper or Jesus was referring to their temper (Mark
3:17). The latter is likely the case since they once suggested Jesus call
down fire on a crowd and had to be rebuked (Luke 9:52-55). They were proud and quarrelsome (Mark
10:35-45).
- Philip was
slow on the pickup and was rebuked by Jesus for not recognizing who He was
(John 14:8-11).
- Thomas was
also in need of instruction by Jesus (John 14:1-6). He doubted Christ’s
resurrection (John 20:25-29).
- Matthew was a
tax collector and people of this profession were known for their greed and
manipulation (Matthew 9:9).
- Judas was a
traitor (Luke 6:16); a cynical critic (John 12:3-5); thief (John 12:6);
was a treasurer (John 13:29); Betrayer (John 13:21-26); and sold out Jesus
(Matthew 26:14-16).
If you were going to choose
leaders for a church would you have chosen any of those that Jesus chose? It's
unlikely you would choose any of the original twelve Jesus chose given their
disqualifications. They were hardly
movers and shakers by the world’s standards. But that’s the point; Jesus didn’t
choose His men by the world’s standards. He chose men to lead by a heavenly
standard.
What Leadership Qualities
Did Jesus Look For? There seems to be two basic
essential qualifications in the men chosen by Jesus to be His disciples and the
future leaders of the church:
1.)
They were willing to follow Him and be disciples
(“disciple” literally means “learner; pupil; student”), they were willing to
learn.
2.) They had a
heart for God. When given the
opportunity to follow Jesus, these disciples did so because they had a heart
and desire to know God’s plan for their lives. They could have walked away like
the Rich Young Ruler, or those who refused to accept His teachings, but they
did not, they followed Jesus (John 6:67-69). The men Jesus chose were willing
to put God first (Matthew 19:27; Luke 9:23-26).
Jesus Prerequisite of
Potential. It would appear by looking at
Jesus’ method of choosing leaders that He chose men based on their potential
and their willingness
to be discipled or grow in their faith. If
they were willing to deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him daily
(Luke 9:23-26) then they were welcome. Jesus chose men based not merely on what
they were but more on what He knew they could become.
To be considered as a
potential leader or to serve as a leader does not mean you have arrived in your walk with the
Lord, it simply enhances your opportunity to serve and gives you more
responsibility. We are all a work in progress (Philippians 1:6). If you look at
Paul’s list of qualifications and assess yourself as “perfect,” beware lest you
are thinking more highly of yourself than you should (Proverbs 26:12; Romans
12:3,16; Galatians 6:3; 1 John 1:8,10).
It would probably be more prudent to view Paul’s list as a potential to shoot for, attain, and maintain.
Grace does not excuse sin. We are all what we are by God’s grace. But that
doesn’t mean we should excuse sin in our lives or lower our standards of
leadership. The disciples of Jesus were vastly different men after they had
served with the Master and received the empowerment of God’s Holy Spirit
(compare Peter in Matthew 26 to Peter at Pentecost and beyond – Acts 2). Sin is
never to be compromised with, never excused.
But when a person is considered for leadership it is done by God’s
grace. What does this mean? It means that the one choosing the potential leader
does so depending upon God for direction and on what God’s grace can do in a
person. Does the potential leader have a heart for the Lord and are they
willing to learn and grow in their faith? Are they willing to surrender
themselves to God in order to have Him work in their lives in a way that brings
them step by step into fulfillment of Paul’s leadership qualifications? Once chosen, do they continue to grow into
the leaders God desires them to be? Those are the questions that need our
consideration.
Choosing leaders by grace can be and often is risky,
(remember Judas). The utmost prayer
and trust in God is needed to see potential leaders in terms of not so much
what they are but rather in terms of what God can make them to be. We are
limited; we cannot look into the hearts of men as God can (1 Samuel 16:7). But
a man’s heart is often revealed in the life he lives. Candidates for leadership
are not always perfect (are they ever?) But candidates for leadership have
hearts for the Lord and a willingness to learn and grow in Him that gives them
great potential. May we choose leaders like Jesus did and by His grace.
Questions for Leaders to Consider. A potential leader should consider the following questions:
- Am I willing
to change and grow in the areas of my life that need to be improved upon
as a leader according to Paul’s qualifications for leaders in 1 Timothy 3?
- Am I willing
to change and grow while under the scrutiny of others?
- Am I willing
to sacrifice personal rights and desires in order to be a leader of God?
- Am I willing
to change and grow out of anything in my life that would bring shame to
the Lord?
- Am I willing
to submit to God’s higher standards for leadership in order to bring glory
to Him?
- Am I willing
as a leader, to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus?
A person who is in a
leadership position needs to consider the following questions:
- Am I a better
leader today than when I was first chosen for leadership?
- Are there
areas I still need to change and grow in so that I can become a better
leader?
- Do I still
have a servant’s heart?
- Am I growing
in God’s grace and am I gracious toward others? (1 Corinthians 15:10; 2
Peter 3:17-18)
- Do I think
I’ve already arrived and have little room or need for spiritual growth?
- Do my actions
show in reality, that I feel I am okay and don’t need to grow, or that I
am concerned and diligent in seeking to grow in God’s grace more and more?
Am I sitting back and coasting in my faith or am I pressing on to the
higher calling of God in Christ? (Philippians 3)
- Am I, as a
leader in the church, willing to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus
Christ?
May
God, in His Spirit help us to prayerfully choose the right leaders in His
church as well as help those of us who are already in leadership positions to
grow in the grace and knowledge of God.
So
let's look at these qualifications for leadership presented by Paul here.
blameless,
"Blameless" (Greek anepileptos) means not arrested, unrebukable, inculpable, or blameless. The idea is
that the spiritual leader is not involved in some secret sin that he could be
blamed for and that would bring discredit or shame to the name of the Lord. The
spiritual leader is not someone who has unrepented
of sinful skeletons in his closet.
the husband of one wife,
It
was common practice in the days of the New Testament that a man would have a slave girl in the home to fulfill his
sexual desires, a pagan temple prostitute
who he would "worship" with, and a wife to bear and care for his children. Paul is therefore stating a
spiritual leader should be a one woman man not one entangled with the lustful
ways of the world. The spiritual leader should be faithful and true in his most
important human relationship; his marriage. If a leader can't be faithful to
his wife, it's not likely they will be faithful in other relationships;
including relationships involved in leading. Monogamy is the standard for the
pastor.
People
sometimes think that as long as they don't indulge in actual physical
intercourse outside of marriage that they are okay. There is widespread access
to immoral pornographic content in our world today. The Bible defines any sex
outside of the marriage relationship as sin (i.e. fornication). Jesus defined
adultery not only in terms of a physical act but to include lustful thoughts
toward others (Matthew 5:27-32). So when Paul speaks about being "the
husband of one wife" we should look at that in terms of the spirit of it.
We may be married to one spouse but are we straying in our thought life?
Spiritual leaders are faithful and devoted to their wife.
temperate,
"Temperate" (Greek nephalios) means circumspect, sober, clearheaded, drinking no wine. The one called
to oversee the flock of God is to abstain from consuming anything that would
cloud their mind or thinking. Satan prowls around like a lion looking for prey
and he especially targets those in spiritual leadership. A pastor needs to be
circumspect or have his head on a swivel. An enemy attack of himself or a sheep
from his flock could occur at any moment from behind any corner. Therefore the
spiritual leader should not dull their senses in any way by consuming anything
that would take the edge off and make them vulnerable to attack (cf. 1 Peter
5:8-9).
sober-minded,
"Sober-minded" (Greek sophron) actually reiterates the idea of
being temperate. "Sober-minded" means prudent, self-controlled, discreet, chaste. This means not given to excess. The sober-minded
person doesn't lunge ahead or lag behind the Lord but is in step with Him. This
is a person whose life is in balance. The spiritual leader is even-keeled.
of good behavior,
"Good behavior" (Greek kosmios) means respectable, orderly, honorable, virtuous, or modest. The idea is
the spiritual leader is well disciplined and has their life in good order.
hospitable,
"Hospitable" (Greek philoxenon) refers to one who is someone who is welcoming and has a natural
inclination to serve the needs of others. The spiritual leader is one who
enjoys being around people. They don't neglect the fellowship of believers
(e.g. Hebrews 10:24-25).
able to teach;
"Able to teach" (Greek didaktikos) refers to someone is skilled in teaching, able to instruct
others, or able to teach. It is essential for anyone aspiring to the
pastorate that they be able to teach God's word. This is an essential of the
pastor. You cannot be an effective pastor and not be able to teach. This
ability to teach is a spiritual gift from the Holy Spirit (e.g. Romans 12:6-8;
Eph. 4:11-12).
3 not given to
wine,
"Not given to wine" (Greek paroinos) not drunken, not addicted to wine, brawling, abusive. Since Paul's
qualifications to deacons is slightly different saying "not given to much
wine (3:8) it would seem that to the pastor Paul is instructing a total abstinence.
Scholars disagree as to whether oinos
("wine") in this
verse, verse 8, and 5:23 refers to grape juice or a fermented drink, and
therefore, whether the apostle is advocating temperance
or abstinence. Other Scriptures give guidance for believers and especially leaders. They take a strong stand
against drunkenness (see Leviticus 10:8, 9; Proverbs 20:1; 23:19-21, 29-35). The awful
consequences of traffic fatalities and ruined homes force a thinking believer to make his decision on the
basis of the great principle stated in Romans 14:21, "It is good
neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is
offended." [2]
Given
the spiritual war the spiritual leader is called to maneuver in it would seem
very imprudent to dull one's senses in such a dangerous environment. The
fighter about to get into the ring or octagon with an imposing dangerous and
deadly foe is not going to want to dull their senses in any way but they will
want to be as alert as possible.
not violent,
"Not violent" (Greek plektes) means not a striker, or contentious. A spiritual leader isn't always looking
for a fight either physical or otherwise.
not greedy for money,
"Greedy for money" (Greek aischrokerdis) is greedy or disgraceful gain. The spiritual leader is not someone who
is looking to manipulate people out of their money. The pastor should not be
involved in any questionable financial dealings. They should not take
"donations" that have strings attached. That is true personally as well
as for the church generally.
but gentle,
"Gentle" (Greek epieikes) is fitting, yielding, gentle. This contrasts with the person who is a
brawler or belligerent. The spiritual leader is gentle enough to be approached
by others. Others should not feel threatened or fearful about approaching them.
Sometimes people fear speaking with the pastor simply because of his position.
But the pastor should never give justification for such fears. The pastor or
spiritual leader should be gentle enough that the youngest child feels
comfortable approaching them.
not quarrelsome,
"Not quarrelsome" (Greek amachos) means not contentious, peaceable. The pastor or spiritual leader should
be amicable, a good listener, not someone who is going to argue about
everything. The pastor or spiritual leader is going to welcome conversation and
not be antagonistic.
not covetous;
"Not covetous" (Greek aphilarguros) means not a lover of money. There are some who say they live by faith but
really just sponge off the church. Money becomes dirty when it is lusted after
and greedily pursued. The pastor and spiritual leader doesn't put a price on
every parishioner. They don't see people in terms of dollar signs.
4 one who
rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all
reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own
house, how will he take care of the church of God?);
The
pastor and spiritual leader should have a good handle on what is going on under
their roof. This doesn't mean a pastor's or spiritual leaders children are
perfect. It does mean they oversee a household where there is orderliness,
respect toward one another, and reverence toward the Lord. It doesn't mean the
pastor or spiritual leader never has disturbance or there is never an
disagreement in their family. It simply means they follow the leading of the
Spirit according to God's word when it comes to their family. The family is a
place where love and grace abounds as well as discipline and order.
If a
leader can't control their own family, how can they lead the church. If the
pastor or spiritual leader has a disrupted family perhaps they need to step
down and devote themselves to their family. Children who live under the same
roof as the pastor and spiritual leader should respect and obey that leader.
That leader should lead them like Jesus would.
But
when the child grows to adulthood and leaves the home they are an adult and no
longer under the control or supervision of the pastor or spiritual leader. Not
even a pastor or spiritual leader can force a child to believe in Jesus. Each
child needs to make their own decision for Christ. The pastor and spiritual
leader is responsible to disciple their children until they leave the home.
Then those children are on their own. Hopefully they will grow in the counsel
of the Lord as they were raised.
6 not
a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same
condemnation as the devil.
"Pride
goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs
16:18). The word "novice"
(Greek neophutos) refers to newly planted, young plant, a new believer. We
get the word neophyte from this term.
The new believer needs to get their spiritual foundation in place (e.g. Matthew
7:24-27). They need to gain some spiritual maturity and mature in the faith
before they are entrusted with spiritual leadership. How mature does someone
have to be until they are eligible for spiritual leadership? That is something
that must be determined as other leaders follow the leading of the Holy Spirit.
A
new believer needs to grow in the grace of the Lord. By God's grace "there
is therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus" (Romans
8:1). If they are not assured of their standing in Jesus Paul points out the
devil can come in and discourage them with "condemnation" (Greek krima).
The devil will heap guilt on the novice when they blow it or make the
inevitable mistakes and sins that come with getting your spiritual feet under
you. A person needs to go through spiritual boot camp before they are ready for
the battle field.
7 Moreover he
must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach
and the snare of the devil.
The
word "testimony" (Greek marturia) refers to the evidence or testimony of one's life. In
other words the potential pastor or spiritual leader needs to have exemplified
life in the Spirit before they are eligible for consideration to be a leader. A
"good testimony" takes time to establish. And that testimony isn't
only to be based on what people in the
church think of them, it is to be based on having a good testimony outside the church. What do your
neighbors think of you? What do those you work with think of you? What does
your unsaved family members think of you? What is your testimony?
Leadership lessons from George Whitefield. At the end of Stephen Mansfield’s book on George
Whitefield entitled, Forgotten Founding
Father, he gives a short list of “The Lessons of Leadership” gleaned from
the life of George Whitefield. These
lessons are filled with wisdom from the life of this great man of God. These
pearls of leadership wisdom flow out of a man who met the Pauline
qualifications of leadership.
- Critics are
the unpaid guardians of the soul.
- Humility is
the freedom from self that great leadership demands.
- Suffering
purifies the heart, hones the vision, and fashions the soul for battles to
come.
- A truly
effective public life is only possible if grown from a truly nourishing
private life.
- Great leaders
read in order to lead.
- Intercessory
prayer is the long-range artillery of God. Leadership of eternal
consequence is impossible without it.
- Extremes are
deformity of purpose and wise leaders check the one to preserve the other.
- Applying the
past to the present so as to shape the future is the leader’s art.
- To view life
from the vantage point of death is to grasp the purpose for living.
- Leadership is
a trust of power on behalf of the poor and the needy.
- Great leaders
welcome hardship as the price of lasting change.
- The leader who
knows he is destined is the leader who can risk in pursuit of a dream.
- Leaders must
conquer the demons of their souls before they can conquer the demons of
their age.
- Great
leadership is impossible without great love.
- Leadership is
about values that leaders must live before they proclaim.
- To offer a
people hope is to acquire a position of leadership in their lives.
- Humor is the
celebration of joy that gives life, and thus true leadership, its meaning.
- To draw out
the best that is in a man despite his flaws is to lead him toward the man
he is called to be.
- To make a
divided people one in the service of a noble cause is the hallmark of
great leadership.
- Every man has
a destiny, but his destiny is fulfilled by investing in the destinies of
others.
Now
we continue with the qualifications for deacons.
The Qualifications of Deacons
1 Timothy 3:8–13 (NKJV)
8 Likewise
deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine,
not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a
pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then
let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise,
their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful
in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife,
ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For
those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and
great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
8 Likewise
deacons
"Deacon"
(Greek diakonos) refers to a servant, waiter, deacon. A deacon
serves in overseeing mostly the material needs of the church. The deacon was a
subordinate helper to the Episkopos pastor
or spiritual leader. Many of the qualifications mentioned of bishop are also
applied to the deacon with some slight changes.
must be reverent,
"Reverent"
(Greek semnos) means venerable, honorable, honest, worthy of
respect, having integrity, dignified, holy. This is the primary spirit
which such a helper should have.
not
double-tongued,
"Not
double-tongued" (Greek dilogos)
means they shouldn't be insincere or
deceitful. The idea is that they shouldn't say one thing to one group and
another thing to another group just to curry favor or manipulate people to
their wishes. A deacon should be truthful and sincerely honest.
not given to
much wine,
Here Paul doesn't speak of total abstinence from wine
but only "much wine." While the deacon is permitted to consume wine
they are not to cross the line into drunkenness or a degree of impairment that
would hinder their service.
not greedy
for money,
Like the pastor spiritual leader the deacon is not to
be greedy for money. They aren't to look to charge for the services they
perform in helping the pastor or leadership. They aren't to be looking for
constant handouts or financial remuneration.
9 holding the
mystery of the faith with a pure conscience.
The job description of the deacon doesn't only involve
physical or materially related service. They are to hold the mystery of the
faith with a pure conscience. A "mystery"
(Greek mysterion) simply refers to that
which has yet to be revealed. Like those chosen to serve tables in Acts (cf.
Acts 6-7) they should be ready to share or open up the scriptures to those they
serve. And they should do that with a "pure conscience" (Greek katheros
suneidesis) or without ulterior
motives. Some of the greatest opportunities to share the gospel and open up
God's word come through our service to others. No matter where you work or what
you do view your position as a strategic platform from which to represent
Jesus. That is true for deacons and that is true for all of us.
10 But let
these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found
blameless.
The word "tested"
(Greek dokimadzo) means proved, tested, examined, tied, scrutinized.
The deacon needs to start their service in situations that are entry level
and then as they show themselves reliable in the small things they are given
more responsibility.
11 Likewise, their
wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all
things.
The wives of deacons are to be "reverent" (Greek semnos) "not slanderers" (Greek diabolos)
or literally not devilish, slanderers,
false accusers, adversarial. The wives of deacons are to be "temperate" (Greek nephaleos) which means not given to wine, clearheaded, temperate. They
are to be "faithful"
(Greek pistos) they walk by faith in all things.
These words imply that it is primarily men who are
eligible for the position of deacons. But it also implies that a deacon has a
strong, loving, stable marriage relationship.
12 Let deacons
be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses
well.
The deacon like the bishop needs to have their
relationships in good order. That begins with their relationship with the Lord.
But it also includes that their marriage and parent child relationships are
stable as well.
13 For those who have served
well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the
faith which is in Christ Jesus.
What is the benefit of serving as a deacon? When a
person "served well as deacons" the result is a "good standing
and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus." "
"Good
standing" (Greek bathmos)
means a good rank. The idea is that
as a person serves it opens doors to greater responsibilities in ministry. It is through service that a person advances
in their usefulness to the Lord.
"Boldness"
(Greek parrhesia) refers to outspokenness, frankness, plainness, clarity
and courage to speak publically, fearlessness. The more a person serve
others and interacts with them the more the Lord through opportunity will help
a person learn how to share His word. The more we share through serving the
more comfortable we become in doing so.
Leadership lessons from Patrick Henry. Patrick Henry was one of the great founding fathers of
our nation. He is known for the rallying cry of the American Revolution,
"Give me liberty or give me death!" He was a great leader in the
secular world. But it was his great faith in Christ in the church that made him
the effective leader he was outside the church. At the end of David J.
Vaughan’s book on Patrick Henry entitled, Give Me Liberty, he gives a
short list of “The Lessons of Leadership” gleaned from the life of this great
man of God. These lessons are:
- A leader is
indebted to the legacy of his parents.
- Providence
chooses the leader who has prepared to be chosen.
- Great
leadership is never the product of natural gifts alone.
- The best
leaders always educate themselves.
- A leader knows
that adversity is the handmaiden to maturity; therefore, he will not
shrink from difficulties.
- The unseen
source of a leader’s courage is faith in God and His justice.
- A leader acts
courageously because God governs providentially.
- Conviction is
worthless unless converted into conduct.
- Humility is
essential to leadership because it makes a leader a servant.
- A leader knows
that criticism is inevitable, and thus will not allow himself to be
poisoned by bitterness.
- All great
leaders rule by the heart.
- A concern for
people is the ultimate test of true leadership.
- The highest
form of leadership is based on the bedrock of religious conviction.
- A leader’s
source of duty will move him to lay aside personal comfort for the interest
of others.
- A man who
cannot rule his family cannot govern his country.
- The home is
the testing ground for all sound leadership.
- A leader’s
vision is rooted in his knowledge of the past.
- A leader faces
the future with a sober confidence.
- Leadership
requires the courage to face the truth, even if painful.
- The difference
between vision and fanaticism is realism.
- Every great
leader fails; no great leader accepts failure as final.
- A leader is a
guardian of his followers.
- Inspiring
oratory is the result of courageous conviction.
- The character
of a leader is revealed by the manner in which he handles success and
power.
- A healthy
sense of humor reflects a leader’s insight, humility, and sense of
balance.
- A charlatan
loves humanity; a leader loves people.
- A leader knows
that hard work is a calling, not a curse, and the only sure path to
greatness.
- Patriotic
leadership means standing on divine principle in the face of human
injustice.
- Every great
leader will be a conservative who builds the future on the tried
foundation of the past.
- A leader must
be active but not driven. He knows the value of rest.
- A leader of
men must be a reader of men.
- A leader’s
courage is most clearly seen in how he faces death.
The
Church Bishops and Deacons Serve and Her Message
14 These things
I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; 15 but if
I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct
yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar
and ground of the truth.
Paul concludes this chapter on leadership expressing
his hope to join Timothy in person shortly. But because there was a possibility
of Paul being delayed he has sent this letter as a how to concerning "conduct"
(Greek anestrepho) or live, maneuver, act and live out "in
the house of God." These words of instruction from Paul to Timothy are for
life but they are primarily for ministry life in the church. When we study them
we should keep that context in view.
Paul also describes for us the nature of the church
served by bishops and deacons. It's important to appreciate the church. The
church is the Bride of Christ. There are those who minimize the importance of
the church. They claim the church to be corrupt and apostate and for sure
segments, large segments of the church have strayed into apostasy. But we
shouldn't throw the baby out with the bathwater. In fact to do so is to offend
Jesus who died for His bride! (Ephesians 5:25). No, instead of casting mud on
the church and offending her Groom we ought to strive in the Spirit to do
everything we can to make every segment of the church where we attend be all
the church it can be. Paul's words to Timothy here define the church and Her
message. Let's look at what the church should be and what the message is that She
shoudl proclaim.
The church is
"of the living God." The
church is where the presence of the living God is manifested most clearly or it
should be. A dead lifeless church is an oxymoron. The church, any and every
church, if it is indeed a genuine church, is the place where people gather to
experience a connection with "the loving God" Who is real and Who
makes a real difference in life.
The church is
"the pillar and ground of the truth." The second aspect of the church is that it is where
the truth of God is proclaimed. "The word 'pillar' was sometimes used for
the decorative column that often supported statues of famous citizens. 'Ground'
is the 'support, bulwark, buttress' that supports the building. And 'truth'
refers to the gospel." [3]
"The truth" is found in the Bible (John 17:17). How sad it is and what a travesty and
injustice it is when God's word is not taught in God's church. The church, if
it really is a genuine church as God intended it to be, is a place where God's
word, His truth is taught. The more the church is teaching and preaching and
ministering the word of God the more it is fulfilling its God ordained and
intended purpose.
The message
of the church is Christ-centered. The
final verse of this chapter lays out a creedal hymn likely memorized by early
Christians as a common expression of their orthodox beliefs. Early Christians
did not have the advantage of written resources. Parchments and other written
forms were expensive. Much of what people knew had to be committed to memory
and that was done through creedal hymns like we have here. Knowing such creeds
also helped believers be certain of what they believed. Creeds gave early
believers certain apostolically approved truths to live by and in some cases
die by. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4 and 2 Timothy 2:11-13 are other examples of first
century creeds used in the early church to facilitate commonality of orthodox
beliefs.)
What we see when we examine this creed is a
Christ-centered hymn.
16 And without
controversy great is the mystery of godliness:
God was manifested in the flesh,
Justified in
the Spirit,
Seen by
angels,
Preached
among the Gentiles,
Believed on
in the world,
Received up
in glory.
The phrase "without controversy" is translated
from a single Greek term homologoumonos and
means an undeniable confession. The content of this verse is
what the church and her people should be proclaiming. This is a creedal hymn of
the early church. "God was
manifested in the flesh" refers to the incarnation of Jesus. "Justified in the Spirit" refers to
the ministry of the Spirit in the life of Jesus that He justly lives without
sin fulfilling all the requirements of legal justification according to the
law. "Seen by angels" may
refer to His eternal existence as well as to the angelic witnesses at His
resurrection. "Preached among the
Gentiles" refers to how the Lord's redemptive plan goes to Israel and
through Israel to also the Gentile nations and all the world. "Believed on in the world" refers
to the spread of the good news of salvation by God's grace through faith in
Jesus Christ throughout the world. The gospel spreads; nothing can stop it. And
"received up in glory" refers
to the ascension of Jesus but also our eternal destiny for those who are saved
through Jesus. This is the song of the church. Can you sing it from your heart?
Will you sing it to others?
In closing I share a few
nuggets of leadership gold from Chuck
Smith – A Memoir of Grace. These are lessons Pastor Chuck Smith over the
years of blessed and successful ministry. They serve as a good conclusion for
this chapter on leadership:
“A few of the more important
lessons the Lord has drilled into me include the following:
·
Do not despise ‘the day of small things’
(Zechariah 4:10). Our own hearts are capable of concocting some grandiose
visions of how we can serve God or how He should use us. But in His school, God
begins with the alphabet. He patiently lays a foundation in our lives before
raising the walls and towers. I have found that it is important to be willing
to do no more than plant seeds, even if we will not live to see the harvest.”
(p, 202)
·
‘It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in
his youth’ (Lamentations 3:27). One of the worst things that can happen to a
young minister is to experience early success. It is all too easy for us to
believe that, ‘By the strength of my hand I have done it’ (Isaiah 10:13). Until
we have sat for a while in failure and come to the end of ourselves, we will
neither know nor credit God’s grace for whatever good we may do. Nor will we be
able to minister grace to others in their time of need and failure. . . . God
rarely wastes His time trying to explain to us what He is doing and what it
means. . . . Preoccupation with the troubles of the moment is what makes our
hearts and minds vulnerable to panic and anxiety. We need to back away and get
the eternal perspective from which it is more clear that ‘our light affliction,
which is but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight
of glory’ (2 Corinthians 4:17).” (p. 202-203)
·
Whatever you do, ‘grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ’ (2 Peter 3:18). I cannot
overemphasize the important of the role that grace plays in every aspect of our
lives. When it becomes obvious that I have not made as much progress in
holiness as God desires, grace fills the distance between
where I am and where I should be, and draws me forward. Grace makes what is
impossible for me by my own strength, not only possible but also much easier
than I could have imagined.” (p. 203)
·
“Remember the two greatest commandments: “love
the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all they mind, and
wit all thy strength’ and ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself’ (Mark 12:30-31). . . .
love the outsider, the sinner, and the enemy. . . . (1 John 3:18).” (p. 204).
·
Prepare yourself – as much as it is humanly
possible – to obey Jesus to do something even if it is ridiculous like ‘Stretch
forth thine hand’ when your hand is paralyzed (Mark 3:1-5). Even when you have
‘toiled all night’ fishing and caught nothing – let down the net if Jesus tells
you to do so (Luke 5:4-7). We sometimes balk at Jesus’ strange commands
thinking, But if nothing happens I will
look so stupid. Here is the heart of the matter: It is not about you. It is
about the work of Jesus and the glory of God. His thoughts are always higher
than ours and His work is always greater than what we ask or think. I may not
always get it right the first time, but I have become more consistent in just
doing what He says when He tells me, ‘Open thy mouth wide, and I will fill it’
(Psalm 81:10).” (p. 204).
·
Exercise your best wisdom and always be cautious
when dealing with money. I cannot stress strongly enough the importance of
handling your finances with integrity. . . . (1 Timothy 6:9) . . . . (Proverbs
27:23-27) . . . . When a moneymaking opportunity looks too good to be true, it
is.” (p. 205).
·
Beware the praise of the crowd (Luke 6:26). . .
. When we put our effort into pleasing people, it disables our service to
Christ (Galatians 1:10).” (p. 205)
·
“I would especially direct this lesson to
pastors: ‘Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove,
rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine’ (2 Timothy 4:2). In other
words, simply teach the word simply. The greatest service you can provide to
the people in your care is to make the Bible accessible to them. Give them the
‘sincere milk of the Word’ in a way that is easily digested. . . . (1 Peter
2:2; Hebrews 5:12-14). The best Bible teaching is not that which dazzles people
with the profound intellect of their teacher, but that which puts its truth
squarely in their hands.” (p. 206).
·
“For many years I have enjoyed a life of
extraordinary blessing and I am convinced that is God’s will for every
Christian. But before getting to that place in life, I learned many difficult
lessons – and I am still learning – for God never allows us to fully make
ourselves at home in this world.” (p. 206).
·
“In the preparation, discouragements and defeats
are necessary. Had I been successful early on, I would have taken credit for
all that God did. I would not have been able to handle the recognition that God
gave me but would have taken credit for the success. God wants to receive the
glory for the work He does, so He first prepares the person to be the
instrument He desires to use. That preparation includes a lot of failure in
order to learn the difference between God’s work and your own. God leads you
through failure so that when He works you will know for certain you are not
responsible for the success. Then God alone receives the credit. God wants to
work, bout the glory need to go to God.” (p. 206-207)
·
“I have not been able to tell my story apart
from God.” (p. 207).
·
“I am no different in God’s sight from anyone
else. The blessings He’s given me are available to all, and I am convinced that
any person can live a life as full and as joyous as mine has been.” (p. 207)
·
“Just keep your eyes on the Lord and follow Him
as closely as possible. Be patient, for in His time when He finally connects
all the dots, you will realize that truly all things work together for good.
Even as Paul encouraged us in Galatians 6:9, ‘Let us not be weary in well
doing, for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.’ May the Lord grant
you the grace and patience to wait on Him until His full purpose is completed I
and through your life, and you have the joy of hearing Him say, ‘Well done,
good and faithful servant.’” (p. 207).
Are You Called To Be A
Pastor?
How does a person know if
they are called to be a pastor? How does a person know what God is calling them
to do? Below are some questions to consider for those who may be in the feeling
stage of considering their call. Why is it important to consider carefully and
prayerfully one’s call, especially a call to be a pastor? I am convinced that to enter pastoral
ministry without God’s call is one of the greatest deceptions of the devil.
This is so because the one who is deceived and drawn into pastoral ministry
apart from God’s call, will suffer great personal loss if not shipwreck their
lives and the lives of their loved ones. But worse, the one who ventures into
ministry for the wrong reasons will be powerless to prevent the desecration of
God’s holy name. The non-called pastor , the non-called person in any position,
is one of Satan’s most effective weapons. (See 1 Timothy 4; 2 Timothy 3-4; 2
Peter 2; Jude; and Revelation 2-3).
Furthermore, there is another
enemy in discerning the call to be a pastor, it is called self. There
is something attractive to people about standing in front of a group and
speaking. This is often at the root of a person’s interest in pastoral
ministry. Because of this the person considering whether or not they are called
to be a pastor needs to really reflect and prayerfully consider their motives.
Is pride involved? Is this “calling” self-serving or self-crucifying? Really
pray about your motives. Is this “call” from inside you or heavenly in origin?
Satan will seek to sneak into a person’s life through their self and oftentimes
snares them on the hooks of pride. He should know, he’s hooked himself (Isaiah
14:12-17; Ezekiel 28:11-19).
Therefore, how does one cut
through the fog of impression and feeling to discern in the Spirit whether or
not they are called by God into pastoral ministry? Below are a few areas that
are particularly important for discerning the one called to pastoral ministry.
While I’m sure these questions are not exhaustive or all-inclusive of every
individual situation, they are the product of prayer, Bible study, and
experience and should be considered seriously and prayerfully. (This tool is
focused on discerning the pastoral call, but many of the questions can be
applied to various other aspects of ministry to which someone might feel
God is calling them to.)
1.) Discerning God’s Will –
What evidence is there that
you are called to be a pastor? Do you have a plan to discern God’s will? Do you
have a history of feeling called to do something only to leave the work
unfinished? If so, what makes this “feeling” or sense of a call different? Have
you truly put yourself on God’s altar and opened yourself to His will no matter
what that might mean in regards to your own personal desires? (See Romans
12:1-2 as well as Joshua 1:8; Psalm 37:5; 119:168; 143:8; Proverbs 3:6; Hebrews
4:16).
2.) Evidence of Pastoral Call –
- Origin
of Call – How was this
“call” initiated, by you or someone else? Genuine calls are usually
brought to light by others who see it in you before you “feel” it in you.
If you had not felt the call and initiated it, would anyone else have seen
it in you or brought it to your or someone else’s attention? If someone
other than yourself has initiated recognition of your call, what is the
basis of their observation? Are they simply confirming something that you
have sent a message about in some way and therefore trying to affirm you
and please you more than they are observing a work of God in you and
through you? Jesus initiated the call in the lives of the disciples; they
did not come to Him to initiate it. The call by Jesus is more of a follow
Me than it is a let me follow You. (Matthew 4:18-22;
10:1-4)
- Small
Groups – Do you take an
active role in small group activity? (e.g. Sunday School class; Home Bible
Study) It is here where the fruit of a pastoral call is usually seen
first. What fruit or evidence of a pastoral call is present in the small
groups ministry? Do small group Bible studies “take off” or grow and bear
lasting fruit as a result of God working through you? Or, do you find
teaching in and leading a small group difficult, uncomfortable, and
unfruitful?
- Interpersonal
Evidence - What evidence is
there of being able to relate to people in a pastoral way? Do you tend to
be frustrated with people or patient with people? Are you able to
communicate with people by both listening and speaking to them? Is
communication one way, your way? Are you gracious with people? Do you love
people? (Galatians 6:1-5; 2 Timothy 2:24-26; 1 Peter 5:1-4).
- Teaching
– Has the Lord opened a door
of opportunity for you to teach? If not, why not? Lack of opportunity may
indicate this spiritual gift is not present. If the opportunity has
presented itself, what fruit of a spiritual gift of teaching was apparent?
Pastors need to be able to teach (Ephesians 4:11-12; 1 and 2 Timothy).
What evidence is there in your life of an ability to teach? Is there
evidence that you can effectively communicate God’s word in an edifying
manner? If a person cannot excel in Biblical studies, if God’s anointing
is not present in this area, are they called to pastoral ministry? (E.g.
Calvary Chapel Bible College/ Extension
courses or similar studies – Do you revel and thrive in the work
and preparation? Or was the work a burden?)
- Godly
Counsel – What do others
(Christians and Christian leaders) think about you being called to
pastoral ministry? Do they see it in your life? Can they clearly see
evidence of such a call? If so,
why? If not, why not? Are you open to their godly opinion or is your mind
made up? The counsel of others is important to decision making (Proverbs
11:14; 15:22; 20:18; 24:6)
- Service – Do you have a servant’s heart? Are you willing
to serve in obscurity? Have you ever done so? Are you willing to do
whatever God wants whenever He wants it done? Even if that means you are not
called to pastoral ministry? (Mark 10:45; Luke 9:23-26; John 13;
Philippians 2:5-11).
- Anointing – Last and most importantly, is there evidence
of God’s anointing on you as a pastor? Is it clear or questionable? Can
you go through the questions in this Are You Called To Be A Pastor? Study
and confidently answer “yes” to these questions? If not, why not? What is
the Lord saying to you? Are you rationalizing your responses to bend them
in the way you would have them to go? Be honest.
3.) Existing Ministry –
What area of ministry has God
gifted you in? Would God have a person begin ministries only to leave them
prematurely? Would God open doors to ministry and not have a person walk
through them? If God has given you a gift to do a certain ministry, then that
is probably where He is calling you to minister. As an unprofitable servant it
would be inappropriate to rebel against and wiggle out of the way God wants to
use you (Luke 17:10).
It would be best to test the
waters in ministry locally to see where God’s gifting is in your life, rather than
embark in life altering plans based on insufficient evidence or feeling. If God
blesses and his call is sure, then proceed in that call, but if He does not
bless, you will save yourself a lot of heartache and frustration by moving on
and discovering where God really does want to use you. (See 1 Corinthians
7:17,24)
4.) Gifting
–
Some have mistakenly used
Paul’s inspired words in 1 Corinthians 1-2 and 2 Corinthians 3:5-6 as
justifying the use of anybody, regardless of God’s gifting, to enter ministry. The
foolish things God uses are foolish from the world’s perspective, not God’s
perspective. The ones God chooses to minister are gifted by the Spirit to do
the work He calls them to do (1 Corinthians 12:1-11; Ephesians 4:11-12). Therefore,
if God is calling a person to be a pastor-teacher, they will show evidence of
spiritual gifting for such a calling. If God is calling a person to be a pastor
then His power working in and through that called person will be evident in
such an area. The gifting evidence accompanies the call. A “call” without
evidence is suspect. Would God give a person gifts (e.g. Pastor-teaching,
evangelism, musically for worship, etc.) that are blessed and spiritually
powerful in ministry and then not call that person to that ministry? The
calling usually is accompanied by gifts related to the ministry the Lord is
calling a person to fulfill. Why would God gift and bless in an area of
ministry, seemingly lead a person into an area of ministry, only to have the
person “sense” a calling to another area of ministry? Does God give contrary
evidence? If you look at the beginnings of the Calvary Chapel movement and the
pastors God raised up, (E.g. Greg Laurie, Raul Ries, Mike McIntosh, Jon
Courson, et.al) they were not initially learned or schooled in seminaries or
Bible schools, but they had been discipled under the teaching of Pastor Chuck
Smith and when they took over situations such as small group Bible Studies, the
fruit that followed made it very clear of the calling of God in their lives.
5.) Pastoral Perspective –
Do you have a realistic view
of pastoral ministry? Ministry is not only teaching, or being in view of a
group of people, it is above all serving. It is administrating, shepherding,
discipling. It is running to the hospital to be at the beside of the sick and
doing so at any time of night or day.
It’s uncomfortable situations galore when you are called upon by God to
rebuke, exhort, correct and encourage. It’s disciplining those who do not see
that ministry is service and not a bully pulpit for their own agenda. It is
taking a stand against carnal folly and superficiality when those who indulge
in such things often rally the unwitting crowd against you. It is speaking the
truth in love, no matter what.
Pastoral ministry is serving
the Lord and sacrificing time with your family. Your wife and children will
miss you every time you step out to minister and you will constantly be
reminded of the cost of such a venture. You will be convicted and torn, but you
will continue on because God’s call is on your life and you trust the Lord and
His grace to compensate for your failings.
Pastoral ministry is always
subordinating your will to the will of God. It is never self-serving and
always self-crucifying. It is a
life of continual sacrifice. It is living in a fishbowl and being the brunt of
accusations, insinuations and outright falsehoods made by people who are really
not informed of the entire truth of the pastoral situation. Its receiving
comments and criticisms offered in a good-natured way about your ministry and
wondering if there is something more substantially meant beneath the surface.
Pastoral ministry will drive you to paranoia if you are not called by God.
Pastoral ministry is depending upon God to defend you in such situations rather
than defending yourself (1 Peter 5:6). It is having people pick at your family,
judge you, assess not only your pluses and minuses, but all your families’ as
well. It’s not reacting to such “attacks” fueled by the enemy who seeks to get
to the pastor through those closest to him.
Pastoral ministry is
constantly relying on God and patiently working with people who are often
transient, or sitting back, uncommitted, or simply infants in Christ. It is waiting
on God in service. In its beginnings it is often working a full time job,
heading up a family, and being used by God to serve in a work of His that may
require you to remain in such a situation for years, with no guarantee that it
will ever end, (a pastor may be bi-vocational for their entire ministry). The
pastoral ministry is not a means of “great gain” (1 Timothy 6:3-10).
Pastoral ministry is serving
in obscurity. It is living in a part of the world that only the pastor and God
can fully comprehend, no one else, not a wife, not a friend, not even another
pastor at times. It is often a humanly lonely calling solely between the pastor
and God.
Even so, pastoral ministry is
a joy to the called. It is the only option for the called pastor.
If you can find happiness and satisfaction in anything else, you are not
called to be a pastor. Pastoral ministry is not an alternative and last
resort for someone who has failed in every other area of their life and
figures, “Hmm, everything else has failed, why not give pastoring a try?”
Beware; pastoral ministry is a frustrating hurricane that will blow down the
presumptuous who are not called. Those who enter in with presumptuous
perceptions of grandeur, of being golden-tongued orators in front of thousands,
will soon learn that the weight of ministry will squash those who enter in by
their own strength rather than the grace that comes with the call of God.
Pastoral ministry is serving God with no other reward but to know that by
relying totally on God, He will one day say, “Well done, good and faithful
servant.”
We often casually read the
description by Paul of his ministry, but as the pastor matures in their
ministry they learn and see the truth of this description more and more. Read
what Paul said about his ministry and what it means to have a pastor’s heart –
2 Corinthians 3:5-6; 4:2,8-11; 5:14-15; 11:16-23; 12:11-21. Truly a pastor’s
call is expressed by the following words of Paul who wrote:
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering,” - 2 Timothy 4:6a
If you are called to be a
pastor, nothing else will satisfy or do for you, and though the road may be
hard, God’s call and grace will sustain you. If you are not called, and you
venture out haphazardly in your own strength, you are doomed to a life of
frustration and folly and will have missed the work God would have blessed.
The words shared above are
not to discourage the one who is called by God. In fact, the one called by God
will find assurance of their call if they prayerfully apply these questions to
their lives. The purpose of such a study is to spare people the frustration and
failure that might come by entering into a holy calling presumptively apart
from God’s actual call. It is also meant to spare the church any more scorn and
poor witness that has come via those who are self-servingly involved in
pastoral ministry. When Peter had denied the Lord, Jesus didn’t throw him on
the scrap heap, He restored him. But Jesus restored Peter in a way that
confirmed his calling and assured him of God’s will in his life. Jesus did this
by asking him a few questions:
- John 21:15-17 – “So when they had eaten
breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son
of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes,
Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Feed
My lambs.”16 He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?” He
said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”17 He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.”
Now
I do not quote this passage to get a rise of emotion out of the reader; I quote
this to hopefully strike to the heart of the situation. Peter was asked
repeatedly by Jesus, “Do you love me?” Love of Jesus is the center of
our relationship with Him. All decisions should be based on that motivation,
our love for Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:14-15). Now the point here is not that
those who are actually called by God to be a pastor are more loving of Jesus;
not at all. The point here is do you love Jesus enough to do whatever He
wants you to do? Even if that means you are not to
serve him as a pastor? That’s the point. If you love Jesus, you can serve Him
joyfully from the heart whether He calls you to do so as a pastor or not. The
answer to that question gets to the heart of the truth and the truth at heart,
about your “call” to be a pastor; about your call to be anything God wants you
to be. May God guide you and call you
according to His will.
