A Good Shepherd

Transcript

Good morning. If you have your Bibles or your smartphones or whatever you use, would you please turn with me to the book of Timothy, 1st Timothy, because there’s two of those. We’ll be looking at chapter 3. I’ll read, then we’ll pray, and then we’ll begin. Okay? 1st Timothy, chapter 3, verse 1. The saying is trustworthy. If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore, an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity, keeping his children submissive. For if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for the Church of God? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the

condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Family of God, this is the Word of God. Thanks be to God. Let’s pray. Father, we posture ourself this morning under the authority, under the power, under the beauty, under the magnificence of your Word. And we pray, O Lord and God, as we mine the Word this morning, that your Holy Spirit would illuminate the text, and would your text change us this morning, correct us if necessary, guide us in every possible way so that we may become mature Christians as a result of the transformative power of your Word. And so we pray these things in the name of Jesus, who is the Word. Amen. Well, this morning, as Greg mentioned earlier, we continue our series on the Word of God and the people of God, and we’re about halfway through that sermon

series. And this morning, we are right at the transition point from teaching on the doctrine of the Church, I’m sorry, the doctrine of Scripture, and we’re beginning our section on the doctrine of the Church. Now, just in case you’re wondering why we started with the inspiration of Scripture and the doctrine of Scripture before we get to the doctrine of the Church, well, it’s quite simple. We need the Word of God to inform how we operate as the Church of God, okay? Otherwise, we’re just left up to human wisdom to kind of figure out how the Church should work. We might deploy particular strategies that we think are effective, but in the end, they fail. And so we need not trust in the wisdom of man to understand about the Church, but the wisdom of God and His Word to understand how the Church functions. And God has instructed us specifically about His design for the people of God

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God’s Design for Leadership

within the context of a local church. And this morning, we will be looking at His design for the Church in terms of its leadership, specifically with appointing pastors to lead the Church. And listen, it’s not lost on me that I’m a pastor preaching on pastors, their roles, their responsibilities, and specifically their qualifications. And so, in many ways, it feels a bit uncomfortable for me because it puts me and the other pastors under the microscope of God’s Word. But also, it can be challenging for me to communicate to you how you, as members, ought to sit under the authority of the pastors. So you can imagine how uncomfortable that makes me feel. But family, this is important for us to understand if we desire to have a healthy church. And so, I will do my best to punch through the uncomfortableness, and I’ll try to preach this morning with humility and with as

much biblical clarity as possible so that we can grow together as a church. Amen? Okay. Well, all throughout the New Testament, we see God’s paradigm for the Church by appointing elders. Acts 20, 28 says,

pay careful attention to yourselves. He’s speaking to elders and to all of the flock in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to care for the Church of God, which He obtained by His own blood.

— Acts 20

(ESV)

First Peter 5, 2 through 4 says,

so I exhort the elders among you, or pastors, as fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you, not for shameful gain, but eagerly, not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

— 1 Peter 5

(ESV)

And that’s just two of many. So appointing pastors is God’s design for the Church. And the process by which these pastors are appointed, listen, is done by the Church. Okay? So this is done to equip the Church to appoint the right kinds of pastors. God gives very specific qualifications that are necessary for the Church to appoint pastors. And this is helpful because it can be quite confusing, especially in our modern evangelical world, for how this whole pastor thing works out. We live in a culture where churches are primarily established by self-appointed men, and these men are largely defined by their giftedness or their personalities. Oftentimes, these men have, you know, strong entrepreneurial gifts. These qualities often go hand in hand. And while these qualities are not inherently bad, they’re not biblical requirements. To be self-appointed or to be appointed because of giftedness is not the blueprint of how God intended His Church to function and flourish.

Like, nowhere in Scripture do we see, you know, God instructing people to find among you the most gifted speaker, or the most, you know, relatable personality, or the one who is, you know, strong at building programs to grow the Church numerically. While those might lead to growing the Church numerically, particularly in our current culture, those don’t necessarily contribute to growing the Church spiritually. So then the question is, how does one become a pastor? Well, before we answer that question, we first have to answer, what does it mean to be a pastor and what do pastors do? So first, the word pastor, which comes from the Latin word shepherd, is used interchangeably with other terms in the Bible, such as elder, or shepherd, or overseer, sometimes bishop depending on your translation. If you have that translation, you need to update your translation. You need a new Bible. Yeah, well, when we refer to pastor,

we encompass all of those terms. In Scripture, we do not see any distinction between pastor, elder, overseer, or shepherd. They’re all the same. They all serve the same function in the Church. And the primary responsibility, or work, of the pastor is to spiritually oversee the Church. Pastors are tasked with teaching and preaching, two separate things, the Word of God, providing spiritual guidance and encouragement to help members of the Church grow in spiritual maturity. Pastors are called to be servant leaders, modeling the example of Christ by selflessly serving other people, prioritizing the needs of others before themselves. They also bear the unique burden of promoting and helping to preserve the unity and harmony among the Church members, and to care for those who have particular spiritual needs. But perhaps the simplest way to describe the work of a pastor is to see them as undershepherds of the chief shepherd, Jesus Christ. He is the perfect pastor

and is the head of the Church. Ephesians 5.23 says, for the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the Church, his body, and is himself its savior. So to be clear, the work of a pastor is not to be the Church’s savior. Only Jesus can do that. The work of a pastor is to help point people to the Savior and to grow the Church into the head. Ephesians 4.15, rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, Christ. So pastors have the unique responsibility to care for the people of God the way God prescribes in his Word until Christ comes again in glory. 1 Peter 5.4, speaking specifically to pastors, says, And when the chief shepherd appears, meaning once our perfect pastor comes and the care of earthly pastors is no longer needed, then you will receive the unfailing

crown of glory. So Jesus, the perfect pastor, who is the head of the Church, who has no equal, calls pastors in a local church to be undershepherds, to care for his people through delegated, that’s a key word, delegated leadership and authority. So pastors have no authority within the church outside of what God has delegated to them. Okay? This is why Hebrews 13.17 says, To the members of the church, confidently obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls as those who will have to give in account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you. So pastors have the job of leading the church and will be held accountable before God on how they lead the church, specifically if their leadership is not in alignment with God’s paradigm prescribed in his Word.

The Work of Pastors

Now, there are many different expressions of pastoral leadership, various different churches, but we at Trinity Church believe that the healthiest model is for all the pastors to be equal in their leadership. So for example, I serve as a lead staff pastor, okay? And Samuel Nagel serves as an executive staff pastor. But the lay pastors or the non-staff pastors are in every way equal with the staff pastors. That’s what you would call a plurality of elders, okay? We just have different roles and responsibilities, different distributions of labor, given our time is dedicated specifically and, you know, fully to the work of pastoring, okay? And in many ways, you know, we’re different in our roles, but we have equal saying as pastors. And this is similar to members and pastors. Let me help clarify that. Though pastors are responsible for leading the church, we are all equals, meaning we are all members of the same

body. We just have different roles and responsibilities. And here’s the thing, none of us are the head. Jesus is the head. So for example, the pastors are not responsible for every little thing that happens in the church. We are primarily responsible for the oversight, the spiritual oversight of the people in the church. We’ll talk about this in greater detail in a few weeks, but just for clarity’s sake, the job of a pastor is not to do all the work of the church, but rather to equip the members of the church to do the work of the church. You see this in Ephesians 4, verse 11 and 12.

He gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds, and teachers to equip the saints, y’all, for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ.

— Ephesians 4

(ESV)

And in the same way, pastors are not responsible

for all the work and ministry that happens in the church. Pastors are not like Catholic priests who mediate between you and God. No, the scriptures are clear. We are all priests. Okay, 1 Peter 2, 4 and 5 says, as you come to him, a living stone rejected by men, but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves, like living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. And then he goes on in verse 9 to say, but you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. So the work of pastoring, friends, is not mediating. It’s maturing. Every member of the church has equal access

to God through Jesus Christ. The job of a pastor is to remind you that you have access to God through Jesus Christ. So remind you of who you are and whose you are, a child of God and his own possession. This means that there are no varying degrees of Christians within the church. There are no Christians within the church that are more important than all the rest of the others, including pastors. However, just because pastors are equal in distinction as members doesn’t mean that we don’t have different roles. Just like husbands and wives, they are equal in distinction, equal as image bearers, equal in worth and dignity and value and significance. We just have different roles. In fact, this is why we celebrate Mother’s Day today. We understand that culturally. And because there are different roles and responsibilities designated to the pastor that are different from the

members, there are very particular qualifications necessary for the role of pastor. And those qualifications are laid out very clearly in our text this morning. And so this morning, this is where we’re going to spend the majority of our time, dealing specifically with the qualifications of a pastor, because part of your responsibility, listen, as members of the church is to not only affirm the qualifications of a pastor and this in many ways in an ongoing sense, but also to sit under the authority of the pastors. And it would be totally unresponsible, unreasonable and unbiblical for you to submit to a pastor who was not qualified or affirmed by the congregation. So if there is a pastor in our church who is not qualified or becomes disqualified, it is the job of the members of the church to remove that man from the office of pastor. Okay. You see how this helps to keep the power dynamics in check. So a pastor helps to

lead the church spiritually because he’s qualified to do so. And the church is called to sit under the authority of the pastors who are helping to lead the church. So long as his leadership sits under the authority of God and his word. If a pastor fails to do that, the church has the authority to remove that man as a pastor. So just for example, if I fail to lead in a way that corresponds with God’s prescribed instructions in his word, then it’s your job to remove me from the office. And here’s the most beautiful thing about having the plurality of elders in our church. The pastors of this church would have already brought me before the congregation to help you logistically remove me from the office of pastor. You understand how that works? Because the other pastors are not only called by God to protect the church,

they’re held accountable by God for how they protect the church. This is why, friends, a plurality of pastors is fundamentally necessary for the overall health of a church. So that you don’t have one man functioning as a tyrant, lording over the church, doing whatever he wants. And listen, I’m preaching this to you this morning under the microscope of God’s word, not as a perfect pastor. In fact, far from it. But I’m preaching this passage soberly on this subject because I love you more than I love the office of pastor. And the other pastors love you more than they love the office of pastor. And we want you to know what God requires of us who love you and who are committed to you so that you can know with sobriety and hold us accountable to that. And to give you a framework for when God might raise up

Biblical Qualifications

other pastors in our church. So you know what to look to, to examine. And so Paul explains, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the qualifications God has determined are necessary for the church to appoint pastors. And Paul begins in verse one by stating that the saying is trustworthy. Okay, hold for a second. This is not only important, but what Paul is saying here is that it’s fundamentally necessary. In other words, this is what you can bank on in terms of the qualifications God requires, lest there be any ambiguity. This is the trustworthy paradigm for biblical eldership. Then he goes on in great detail to explain these qualifications and to help us along. There’s kind of 13 of these qualifications. I’ve taken these 13 qualifications and I’ve squeezed them into five categories that I think will be helpful for you. These categories that are fundamentally necessary to qualify a man

for office. Okay, so those five categories would be calling, character, competency, conduct, and consistency. The alliteration is just so good there. Okay, so we’re going to go ahead and start the alliteration is just so good there. This is probably the easiest one I’ve ever had to work with. And before we dive into the categories of, you know, qualifications, notice that I mentioned that the office is reserved for men. Continue to use that word men, men. And listen, just briefly, I’m not unaware of where we sit in terms of our cultural climate. I know that many, maybe some in this room will hear that statement and immediately think that’s sexist. That’s bigoted or that’s gender oppressive. But let me just remind you, this is not an issue of equality. It’s an issue of role. In the same way, women have unique roles in our world and

are made wonderfully distinct from men. And those distinctions should never be taken away or hijacked by people, including other biological males. This is but one area in which we must appeal to the wisdom of God’s word rather than the wisdom of the world to determine what is right, good, fair, and appropriate. And according to 1 Timothy 2, verse 12, and 1 Corinthians 14, 34, and 35, it’s clear that the office of pastor is exclusively reserved for men. It’s part of God’s wonderful creation order and his beautiful binary design. And so to stand in opposition to this is to stand in opposition to God’s inspired and breathed out word. And really, to stand in opposition to the beauty of God’s perfect purposes for difference and distinction. Okay? And just to be clear, though the Bible speaks of the office of pastor being reserved for men, we must also

recognize and appreciate the unique and valuable contributions that women make within the church’s wide spectrum of ministries. To be a church that is faithful to the scriptures and pleases God, we must be committed to supporting and empowering women within the church to use their God-given gifts and talents to serve in various capacities. And these capacities would include teaching, counseling, and other forms of ministry in different degrees. So we don’t believe that women can do nothing within the church. It’s actually quite the opposite. They can do everything except for hold the office of pastor and those unique responsibilities that are designated to the pastor. Does it make sense? We believe that the distinctiveness of men and women’s roles in the church is part of God’s design for us. And so we as a church are committed to honoring and celebrating the diversity. Okay? But we do that in a way that corresponds with God’s paradigm.

Five Essential Categories

So with that in mind, okay, I know that’s heavy, but with that in mind, let’s begin with the qualifications. And I’ll be moving these various qualifications around to fit them in those five categories just to help us. So we’ll be bouncing around a bit with these qualifications. But I’ll begin first with calling because I think this is the proper starting point in terms of qualifications. So let’s look at the second half of verse one. It says, if anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. The first thing I want to draw your attention to is the fact that Paul references the calling of pastor as the office of overseer. And I think this is an important distinction for two reasons. One, so that we don’t confuse calling with giftedness. Okay? This is huge for us in our culture. We oftentimes equate giftedness with calling. Okay? This is why

our church globally is in such a mess. The office of pastor represents a position, not a particular gifting. And two, it keeps pastors from seeing their pastoral work as part of their identity. Because it gives pastors a clear framework and understanding for their role. When a pastor sees their role as an office or a position entrusted to them by God, they’re less likely to define their entire identity solely based on their pastoral work. Which is huge for me. Because I’m more than a pastor. I am a child of God. And in the list of my priorities, I’m just being honest with you, I’m a husband first. I’m a father. I’m a member of the church. And then I’m a pastor. Okay? That’s my list of priorities. Okay? It’s important for me and the other pastors to separate our personal identity from our pastoral identity. Because it helps us recognize that our

value, our worth, comes from our relationships with God. It’s not based on our role as a pastor. Okay? And then Paul begins the qualification by essentially saying, if anyone wants to be a pastor, he must want to be a pastor. That’s like how it breaks down grammatically. In other words, part of being called to pastoral ministry is a strong sense of personal desire. No one should think about pursuing pastoral ministry out of obligation, compulsion, or manipulation. Internal desire is essential. Desire is the starting point. And I think it’s the proper starting point because, friends, pastoring is really hard work. It is really hard work. It’s joyful work. It’s encouraging work. But it is exceedingly difficult work. So if your ministry is not fueled by desire, when things get challenging, you will bail out. Okay? But listen, desire alone is not enough. You must also aspire. I’m so thankful that word is there,

for the role of pastor. So it’s one thing to think to yourself, man, I would love to be a pastor. It’s a whole other thing to work towards being a pastor. In fact, the original word for aspire can be translated to work towards or to stretch out your hand in an attempt to grab hold of.

So practically, this might look like growing in your knowledge of the scriptures or learning how to care for people. It might include intentional pastoral internships or very specific discipleship geared towards pastoral ministry. But in any event, to be called to ministry begins first and foremost with a desire and an aspiration of pastoral ministry. Now, I just want to be clear. Not having a desire to be a pastor is okay. It is okay. There is nothing unspiritual about not wanting to be a pastor. Okay? There are, and I can say this with confidence, many men in our church, all who fit the qualification of being a pastor, but do not desire to be a pastor. And that is totally fine. We thank God for these men, for their example to the congregation, for what it means to be a godly man. And God will most certainly use them in our church in a variety of

other different ministries to help the church flourish. Okay? So it’s not unspiritual to not want to be a pastor. I get it. Believe me. And the reverse side is also true. Just because someone desires to be a pastor and aspires to the office doesn’t necessarily mean they’re called. This is a practical way to understand this kind of rubric that the other pastors and I tend to lean on. First, you will have the desire, which means there’s this internal call. Second, there will be external affirmation from within the church. People who know you and have seen you serve, meaning other people will begin to say, hey man, you have some pretty strong pastoral gifts. And then thirdly, providential opportunity. In other words, God will begin to confirm what’s going on internally using external means by people who know you, and then he’ll open up the door

for those things providentially. Okay? So second, Paul appeals to character. And in this character category, we have seven qualities. He must be above reproach, sober-minded, self-controlled, not a drunkard, not violent, not quarrelsome, and not a lover of money. Okay? So let’s look at each of these character qualities. First, a pastor must be above reproach. This means that a pastor must have a high moral character. There’s nothing in his behavior or in his reputation that can be criticized or condemned. This includes their actions, their words, and even their private affairs. They must not be guilty of any serious sins. For sure, no criminal offenses, you know. They should be honest, trustworthy, and humble. Now, just to be clear, to be above reproach does not mean perfect. Amen? Or without sin. The Bible says that if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Pastors are sinners, just like you. Pastors are subject to all

types of temptations, just like you. The only difference in terms of qualification is that a pastor’s character should be more consistent with repentance than ongoing unrestrained sin. Okay? So a pastor is to be sober-minded and self-controlled. I put these two together because they work together. Self-control is the outward expression of an inward control that comes from having a sober mind. So this means that a pastor is to be clear-headed and rational, especially in difficult and challenging circumstances. He’s not easily swayed by his emotions or passions. That doesn’t mean we’re not passionate. Okay, you guys know I’m pretty passionate. But I’m not swayed by those passions. Okay? He’s to be sensible and disciplined. In other words, he is to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in regard to self-control. And this, friends, is why a pastor is not to be a drunkard. Because it impedes their ability to be sober-minded and

self-controlled. To be intoxicated is quite literally the opposite of being sober-minded and self-controlled. To be drunk totally impacts your ability to think reasonably, rationally, carefully, and spiritually. And the qualification of not being a drunkard is not exclusive to alcohol. It’s to any substance that can become a controlling agent in their life. Okay? So this could be marijuana. You have to say that. You have to say that specifically in Portland. It could be painkillers. Okay? Anything that would compete with the Holy Spirit controlling or governing them, or anything that would prohibit them from thinking clearly and biblically. And just to be clear, there is a difference in drinking alcohol in moderation and being drunk. I know this can be a taboo topic to talk about in church. The qualification, though, is not drinking. It’s not being drunk. So we want to be careful to not make the qualification

more than what the Bible says. Now, with that being said, I think it’s wise for pastors to consider how drinking alcohol socially and publicly, even in moderation, might cause some members of the church who struggle with drinking to fall into unique temptations. And I say that particularly within a culture of reformed thinking Christians, because they tend to just wow out with that. Okay? Now, they have to consider how their unique position and influence in the church might affect others negatively. So, in some cases, not all, but in some cases, in some social situations, pastors might need to forego their Christian liberties for the sake of loving people. And if that’s too hard for you, you already know.

You already know, because there’s a thousand ways in which you must forego your liberties for the sake of loving the congregation. Okay? Another reason why pastors are not to be drunkards is because being drunk tends to make men violent and quarrelsome. You see how these all string together? Proverbs 20 verse 1 says, wine is a mocker, strong drink is a brawler, and whoever is led astray by it is not wise. What’s crazy is that the word violent here is translated brawler. Okay? So, in the same way sober-mindedness and self-control are connected with not being a drunkard, so is not being a drunkard connected to not being violent or quarrelsome. Those two are qualifications for a pastor to not be violent and not be quarrelsome. But this violence is not referring only to physical violence. The word can be translated as pugnacious, which is someone who’s prone to physical or verbal aggression. Someone who loves to argue and fight.

In contrast to being violent, pastors are to be gentle. Okay? Which implies that a person who is to be patient and meek and humble in their interactions with other people. A gentle person is not easily provoked, but instead seeks to build relationships and promote peace. And to be quarrelsome is to do the opposite of that. Okay? And here’s what’s really sad about this qualification of being gentle. Sometimes pastors have to confront sin. And we aim to do that in complete gentleness and in love. But because we have to confront sin, it’s not often received as being gentle. But friends, gentleness has nothing to do with acceptance of sin or tolerance.

It has to do with the way that we correct in love. So, we must not confuse intolerance with not being gentle. Okay? And listen, this qualification of gentleness is extremely important. Because a pastor is called to be a leader and an example to the church community. And if a leader is prone to violence or prone to being quarrelsome, they can cause all kinds of division and strife within the church. As part of a church in Los Angeles and the leadership, they were always about debating and arguing and fighting. And the ethos of the church was the same way. And so, we as elders try really hard to cultivate a culture of gentleness here. Because that’s what we want for you. So, we lead. We try to lead as best we can by example. Whereas a gentle and patient leader, they can bring people together and encourage the spirit

of unity. Okay? And listen, though these are character qualifications for a pastor, they should not be limited to pastors only. This should apply to all Christians. As followers of Jesus, we’re called to imitate his example of humility and gentleness, even in the face of adversity. Okay? Then finally, in terms of character, a pastor must not be a lover of money. Now listen, this doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t care about money. Okay? Or a pastor is supposed to be poor. Amen? Yeah. It means he’s not controlled by money. It’s almost connected to that drunkenness piece. He’s not moved and persuaded by money. He’s not greedy with his money. He doesn’t live to stack up as much chips as possible at the expense of other people. Okay? To be clear, money is not the problem. It is the love of money that’s the problem. The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6.10, for the love of money, the love of money is the root of

all kinds of evil. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs. So, friends, these would be the inward character qualifications of a pastor. Okay? But then Paul goes on to say that a pastor must have competence, that he must be able to teach. A pastor must be able to teach the Bible. Teaching the Bible is central to the office of overseer. Now, notice that the text does not say must be able to preach. Okay? Preaching is but one expression of teaching, but not the only expression of teaching. A pastor friend of mine, Sam Amati, he writes this in an article, and I think this is very helpful. So, I’m just going to read what he’s written because I can’t write it any better. He says, the only particular gifting pastors must demonstrate is the ability to teach.

But what exactly does that mean? A pastor must captivate an audience, must have good stage presence. It’s easy to assume able to teach must have something to do with preaching, but equating able to teach with preaching is an over-reading of this qualification. Paul doesn’t mention preaching in this passage, and neither he or any other New Testament writer assumes that preaching is the only context where teaching occurs. Further, Paul also recognizes that even though elders should be able to teach, only certain elders within the church will have any significant or consistent public teaching ministries. Friends, I think this is super helpful. We ought not put in what God has decidedly left out, okay? Certainly teaching does involve preaching, but teaching might also look a lot simpler than what happens behind this metal weird thing. It could mean teaching in children’s ministry. It could mean teaching or leading a

small group or teaching in a one-on-one Bible study. So much more than that, okay? The point is, a pastor must be able to open up his Bible and help instruct people about what it says, particularly when it comes to doctrine, and be able to refute anyone who would attempt to present a false doctrine to the church. He must be able to teach people about Jesus from the Bible. Whether or not his teaching is directly connected to the pulpit. Now listen, God has been exceedingly kind to Trinity Church, and that he has gifted this church with a lot of men who are very competent when it comes to preaching. And we intentionally seek to provide opportunities for men who desire to preach more regularly to grow in their preaching gifts. And we are generous with the pulpit, and we benefit from it. But we must never mistake God’s unique gift

to this church in terms of the amount of men who can preach, and begin to assume that all pastors must have this gift of preaching as a qualification. You understand that? Because if we continue to do that, it will kind of change the ethos where men begin to think, well, I’m not like an eloquent speaker, therefore I’m excused from the office. And friends, we need more pastors who don’t care about the pulpit, but care about the people of God, who are living room pastors. This is how God has designed it. Okay, we need more men who will lovingly teach in those contexts that I’ve explained before.

So preaching is not a qualification because the Bible doesn’t make it a qualification. Then Paul moves to conduct as a qualification, a category of conduct. Conduct deals mostly with the outward qualities, whereas character are more of those inward qualities. He gives us three of these things, the husband of one wife, manage his household well, and hospitable. So let’s deal with each one of these. First, the husband of one wife. Now this might be better explained by explaining what it’s not. This doesn’t mean a pastor must be married.

So a man could be single and still be qualified to be a pastor. How do we know that? Well, the dude who wrote these qualifications under the inspiration of scripture was a single man, right? He was a pastor, right? However, if a man is married, he is to be what’s called a one woman man, solely devoted to his wife, faithful to her in every possible way. In other words, he doesn’t step out of the bounds of his marriage covenant, but instead he models Jesus, who was completely faithful to his bride, the church.

So some have suggested that this means that a pastor, you know, could never be divorced. And if he was divorced at any time in his life, then he’s immediately disqualified. But friends, this requires all kinds of nuance. Okay, for example, was the man a Christian before he was divorced? If he was a Christian at the time of his divorce, was he the one who broke the covenant and sought the divorce? And finally, this kind of speaks to the bigger issue, and that is, is divorce the unpardonable sin? No, if you were wondering. So there is some nuance here. We need to look at each situation with wisdom and discernment. But what is easy to deduce, easy to understand that if a man has a pattern of unfaithfulness, adultery, or is bound up in pornography where he’s breaking his covenant with his wife, then he is not qualified to be a pastor. It’s that simple. Okay. The reason this is important

is because pastors have the difficult job of teaching and correcting, and in some cases, disciplining those men who are trapped in a sin of marital infidelity and pornography. And so they must have a reputation that is without blemish in the area of sex and marriage, lest they become hypocrites when they’re trying to correct people. Okay. So that’s, I think, the best way to unpack that. And then this qualification that, you know, must be a husband of one wife. It’s in every way connected to managing his household. Part of managing a household is being faithfully devoted to his wife as well as his family. If he has children, he must be committed to raising his children in the fear and knowledge of the Lord. He must be a good steward of the resources God has entrusted to him to care for his family. You know, one of the easiest ways to determine if a man is

fit for pastoral ministry is to have dinner with his wife and to ask him hard questions. What do you think about your husband in pastoral ministry? Right? They’ll tell you a lot. Wives have an interesting way of knowing all the details about a man that nobody else knows. They can attest to his character, his reputation, both publicly and privately. And just for clarity’s sake, managing one’s household well,

this doesn’t mean that your kids have to be Christians. Okay. For some, I don’t know where people get that from. No matter how good of a father we aim to be, I cannot make my children saved. I cannot save them. That is the unique responsibility of the Holy Spirit to unlock the soul of our children. Right? So, the job of a pastor to fill this qualification doesn’t mean that our kids must be saved. It means that our kids must be submissive. We must raise our kids in a godly manner, cultivating a gospel environment in the home for them to learn and grow and, Lord willing, Lord willing, follow Jesus in obedience. Right? This also means that he must be able to prioritize his family needs and balance his responsibilities as a pastor with his responsibilities as a husband and a father. Okay? And the reason why is because verse 5 says,

if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? Okay? A pastor’s management of his own home is, in many ways, a mini picture of how we manage the church. Okay? And then finally, in terms of conduct, he must be hospitable, which is literally translated love of strangers. It refers to welcoming and generous attitude towards strangers and unbelievers, but it’s not exclusive to that. But it’s an eagerness to show kindness and hospitality to people. Okay? For pastors, the qualification of being hospitable is an important one because it demonstrates their willingness to serve others and make them feel welcome for the sake of the gospel. This includes welcoming visitors to the church. You ever see on a Sunday morning, what are your pastors doing? We’re seeking out new people, strangers, visitors, and members of the congregation. I know that can

be sometimes challenging because you want to engage with us, but you’re members of the church. We have infinite time with you, but we’re seeking out those Sunday mornings to engage with strangers, those who might be far from the gospel. We don’t know their situation. So we make that a priority. That’s being hospitable. Okay? And again, hospitality is not just one qualification for pastors. All Christians should be exercising hospitality for the sake of the gospel. And if you want to know more about that, I highly recommend a book by Rosario Butterfield. She’s a wonderful author entitled The Gospel Comes with a House Key. I think it’s a very helpful resource for understanding how your gift of hospitality could be used as an instrument for engaging a world with the gospel. Okay? And then finally, we come to the category of consistency, and Paul gives us three qualifications in this category. Must not be

a recent convert, must be respectable, and be well thought of by outsiders. Okay? So, not a recent convert. This can be a tricky one, but this simply means he must not be a brand new Christian. Okay? He needs to be a Christian long enough to ensure that his Christian character is consistent. And we do this so that he doesn’t become frightful. It says this in verse six. He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. So, there’s a sense in which the providence of time has a way of shaping and maturing a pastor. Time is God’s gift to make a pastor, or a potential pastor, humble and consistent. Now, this doesn’t mean that a pastor has to be old, though I think that is a wonderful, wonderful reality. To have older saints as pastors is a unique gift for the church,

and I pray to that end, and you should pray to that end. I want to know what it looks like to be a pastor 40 years beyond me. I only know what it looks like to be a pastor right now. Okay? So, we pray for older folks to be pastors. Amen? Amen. But you don’t have to be old. Amen. But you don’t have to be old to be a pastor. In fact, in the next chapter, Paul tells Timothy, let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity. So, there’s a massive difference in terms of spiritual years and physical years. Okay? So, this means you could be a young man, so long as you’re a faithful young man with a track record. Okay? And Paul gives these last two qualifications that are actually very similar in that they both have to do with how people

perceive you. Paul says they must be respectable and be well thought of by outsiders, and the difference between these two is defined by the kinds of people. Okay? Being respectable has to do with insiders, those inside the church, and to be well thought of by outsiders, well, that has to do with outsiders, those outside the church. In both social environments, a pastor must have a good reputation. Now, this doesn’t mean that everyone has to love this man. Oh, that would be wonderful. But especially when it comes to the outsiders, those who might be hostile to a man because he’s a Christian, but even though they don’t like his beliefs or his worldviews, a man must live in such a way where his people at least respect the way that he carries himself. Okay? So, friends, these are the qualifications that God has given the church to use when

The Perfect Pastor

thinking about appointing a man as a pastor. And because men within the church who’ve been appointed as pastors meet these qualifications, you can place yourself under the spiritual authority and care of these pastors because they are trustworthy. Okay? Now, brothers and sisters, I know that for some of you, when I explain this list of all these qualifications and I talk about being under the authority of the pastor, it brings up all kinds of uncomfortable emotions, especially if you’ve had a pastor who, according to this list, was not qualified. Maybe he was unfaithful. Maybe he was not gentle. Maybe he was quarrelsome, contentious. Maybe he slandered you or deceived you. Whatever the sin was, he failed you as a pastor and left you with deep wounds and scars of suspicion. Well, friend, if that is you, I want you to know that I completely understand. I literally understand.

I have experienced this same failing, and it broke my heart, and it crushed me, and it made me suspicious. It made me question my orientation, where I sit in the church, and who I can trust. But friends, you need to be reminded, in the same way I need to consistently be reminded, that though those unperfect pastors failed us, Jesus, the perfect pastor, never will. He never will. Jesus, in every way, lived a life above reproach, because he lived in a way that perfectly pleased the Father, because he was in every way without sin. Jesus was perfectly faithful to the church, his bride. In fact, so faithful was Jesus to his bride that he laid down his life to purchase her. Jesus was perfectly sober-minded and perfectly self-controlled, always steady in his mind and emotions, even in the midst of extreme adversity and suffering. Jesus was respected both by insiders and outsiders. He was highly regarded

by those who knew him and loved him, but also by those who opposed him. Jesus was perfectly hospitable, always welcoming all kinds of people, including those who were considered outcasts, marginalized, or sinners, far-off strangers. Jesus was the perfect teacher. He was a master of the Word. He himself was the Word. He taught using parables and illustrations to convey the deepest and most complicated spiritual truths in a way that was simple for the most simplest of people. Not only was he a good teacher, he perfectly practiced what he taught. Jesus was never a drunkard, though he associated himself with sinners, including drunkards. Jesus was never violent, was exceedingly gentle, even when he demonstrated his righteous anger at times. He was never out of control. He was known by everyone by his compassion, his gentleness, and his tenderness towards those who were hurting and in need. Jesus was never quarrelsome. He did

not engage in petty arguments or did he seek out conflict. No, but he was one who brought peace and reconciliation to a contentious and divisive world. He was not a lover of money. Jesus had no need or desire for material wealth because his focus was solely on the riches of heaven and a crown of glory. Jesus was able to perfectly manage his household well. Though he did not have a family in the traditional sense, he did demonstrate great care and concern for his family, for his disciples, and listen, to all of those who he would call children of God. Brothers and sisters, though earthly and imperfect pastors fail us, Jesus, the perfect pastor, never will. This, friends, is why we do not place our faith and trust in men,

in earthly pastors, but in Jesus. In fact, every failed undershepherd only points us to the fact that we need a good and faithful shepherd. Jesus, in the gospel of John, says,

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd does not know and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees. The wolf snatches them and shatters them, scatters them. He flees because he’s a hired man and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I lay down my life for the sheep.

— John 10

(ESV)

Brothers and sisters, a good pastor, though imperfect, though human and flawed, should look a lot like Jesus, someone who lays down his life in love for the people of God.

And this good shepherd offers himself to sheep who are far off. And so I close this morning by saying, are you a sheep without a shepherd? Are you wandering without a pastor? Are you not a member of a local church where you can be cared for and loved? Have you not come to know the love of this good shepherd? Well, he can be your shepherd this morning by trusting and believing in him for the forgiveness of sins. He will save you and he will bring you into the family of God. And then he commissions you to become a member of the church where you can be faithfully shepherded by the pastors of the church. Amen. If you are hanging on the fringes of committing yourself to a local church under the spiritual care of a pastor, don’t stay in that place too long. Don’t do that. Nothing good will come of that.

Come under the care and protection of pastors. We are not perfect, but we will love you. We will care for you and we will shepherd you as you walk in this dark and crazy world. Amen. And if you have questions about that, feel free to talk to any of the pastors this morning. We would love to work you into the rhythm of our church. Okay, let’s pray. Our Father and our God, we thank you that we don’t have to figure out how to do church. But if we did that, we’d have all kinds of messed up churches, consumeristic churches, churches that are built on just foolishness.

We thank you that you have, through the power of your word, conveyed a divine blueprint. And I pray, oh God, that you would help us to follow that blueprint. We pray, God, that you would raise up many men in our midst who will consider the call, who you’ve already been working in their heart to build up a desire. You’ve been causing them to aspire to pastoral ministry. I pray, God, that you will raise up men to shepherd the sheep of this congregation. And I pray, God, that we as a congregation would see when you are raising up people that we will be clear when you are raising up people in this congregation, and we will do our best to affirm them and raise them up. Father, we need pastors. I need a pastor. We all need pastors until you come in glory to take us home, when we will be with our perfect

pastor. We pray these things in Christ’s name. Amen.