In our final study of what to consider when choosing a church, we are going to turn down a completely different road. To this point, we have looked at the church itself--the commissioned, continuing, and convinced church. Now we will look at a singular person in the church: the called pastor. The pastor is a very important part of choosing any church. Often, if one wants a good picture of what the church is, he can look to the pastor and see a picture of what the church will eventually become. What should one look for in a pastor?
I Timothy 3 and Titus 1 provide us with the characteristics of a bishop or elder (other Bible words for pastor). We will be looking at the pastoral characteristics found in I Timothy 3:1-7.
1. The pastor is called to a good desire -- His reputation before God (I Tim. 3:1)
1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
The pastor must have a desire to be in this position. Without that desire, he will soon lose his passion for the work of God. However, this desire must be in the right places. He must desire the position to serve others, to preach the Word of God, and to lead the flock. His desire must not be material gain or leading others astray.
QUESTIONS:
1. Does my pastor have a desire to be in the pastorate?
2. Is my pastor's desire based in scriptural things and not selfish things?
2. The pastor is called to a good character -- His reputation before the church (I Tim. 3:2-3, 6)
2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
3 Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;
6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
The pastor's reputation in the church must be a good one. He must have a character that reflects his position. An outline of the above characteristics would be this:
Unquestioned gender
The unquestioned gender is the fact that he is a he. This is crucial to a Christian's beliefs. It is God-ordained that pastors be men. This is not because women are not supposed to study the Bible or be leaders. Rather it is because God wants the church to be a picture of how the home is structured. His structure from the beginning is man leading the home. The church is a picture of the marriage and family relationships.
Unquestioned behavior
The pastor's behavior should be above reproach. Accusations should not be able to take hold in his life. He should always be aware of any dangers that could come into his life, his family, or his church. His behavior should be characterized by the purpose that God has given him. He should be organized or disciplined in his actions.
Unquestioned love
His love for the people in his church should also be unquestioned. He should be hospitable, welcoming people and helping with needs whenever he can. He should be a teacher, lovingly showing his congregation how to follow God's Word.
Unquestioned actions
His actions should be God-honoring. He shouldn't be a drunk or a bully. He shouldn't be greedy or constantly trying to get more stuff that he doesn’t need. He should be patient. He shouldn't be quick to argue.
QUESTIONS:
1. Is he a man?
2. Is his behavior unquestionably godly?
3. Does he have a love for the church?
4. Do his actions reflect that he is following God?
3. The pastor is called to a good home -- His family's reputation (I Tim. 3:4-5)
4 One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity;
5 (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?)
Our pastor should be one that takes care of his family. He should be in charge in his house- the authority that his family looks to for leadership. His wife should be submitted to him Biblically. His children should obey and acknowledge his authority. If he is not able to be in authority over his own house, then he would not be able to be a good authority in God's house.
QUESTIONS:
1. What is his wife's attitude toward him? Does she willingly submit to his leadership?
2. Do his children acknowledge his authority and obey him? Or are they rebelling constantly and not bringing honor to God?
4. The pastor is called to a good testimony -- His reputation before the community (I Tim. 3:7)
7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
The pastor should have a relationship of respect with the community. He should be known as a man of character among all non-believers. If he does not have a good testimony in the community, how can he reach out to the community? How could they see the love of Christ through the church? The world needs to be able to respect the morality of the pastor, even if they don't respect his beliefs.
QUESTIONS:
1. Does his testimony in the community reflect well on God?
2. Does his testimony in the community allow us to properly reach out to the community?
3. Will our church be given a bad name because of his leadership?
I hope that you have enjoyed this series on the characteristics of a Biblical church. God desires that all who have believed in Jesus Christ follow Him and the church is a large part of that following. Following through the commissioned church, the continuing church, the convinced church, and a called pastor are essentials for every Christian to have. Again, I offer a word of caution when asking these questions: If a few of the underlying questions do not add up to exactly where we want them to be, it does not mean that God does not want us in that church. Rather He wants us to be leaders and help that church grow. If however, the church does not exhibit the major qualifications that our presented in scripture, we may want to consider going elsewhere. Ultimately, we must let God lead us to where He wants us.
1. Photo credits: www.godtube.com/watch/?v=YKKWGPNX
No comments:
Post a Comment