Tag: pastor

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1 Timothy

Our attitudes towards those in the church

1 Timothy

As a pastor, Timothy had to deal with people from a variety of ages, people older than him, people who were his peers, and people who were younger than him.

And the thing that Paul reminds him here is, “You are not Lord over these people. These are family members. Treat them as such.”

He said,

Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father.

Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity. (1 Timothy 5:1-2)

There were times when Timothy would have to confront men that were older than him.

Paul is not saying here that he should never rebuke his elders. Rather, he was to refrain from doing so harshly. To refrain from unduly upbraiding them or humiliating them.

Paul said, “Think of these men as your own father, as people deserving of respect.”

He said the same of older women, that Timothy was to treat them as if they were his own mother. He was to deal with them gently and with all honor and respect.

For the younger men, he was not to lord himself over them either, but rather to treat them as brothers.

And for the younger women, he was to be careful how he dealt with them as well.

There would probably be women that would be attracted to a godly man like Timothy. And he was to be careful to treat them as he would his own sisters, not abusing his position as pastor in any way.

It is important, though, not just for pastors to remember all this. But as members of the church, we are to think the same way. To remember that we are all one family in God.

As has often been pointed out, you can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your relatives. And in Christ, we are all family.

So don’t look down on your family members or treat them as dirt. Remember to treat each other with respect, with all purity, and above all, with love.

How are you treating your family members?

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1 Timothy

So you want to be a pastor

1 Timothy

This passage, admittedly, is not for many people very practical for the reason that they have no desire to become a pastor.

I myself have not sensed any calling at this point from God to become a pastor. Whether that changes or not, I don’t know, but if I haven’t been called up to this point, I doubt it will change now.

Then again, I never thought I’d become a missionary either, and here I have been in Japan for 20 years now.

But for those of you want to become a pastor, this passage is very important.

And for churches looking for a pastor, this passage is also very important. For it sets forth the qualifications that a pastor (overseer is the term it uses) or any church elder should have.

Paul writes,

Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. (1 Timothy 3:1)

The words that strike me most here are “if anyone sets his heart on being an overseer.”

I look at my life and that has never been my life goal. But for some, God has put that desire in their hearts. And Paul says, “If that’s where your heart is, that’s a good thing.”

But then he lays out the qualifications of a pastor. And I think it’s noteworthy that Paul doesn’t start with what seminary you went to or what kind of education you have. He starts with character.

He says, “So you want to be a pastor? What  kind of character do you have? That’s what I’m most interested in.”

Are you above reproach? Is there any impropriety that people can rightfully accuse you of? Are you a person that people can look to as an example in how to live?

Practically speaking, are you faithful to your wife? Are you faithful to your marriage vows? If you are not faithful to your wife, how can we expect you to be faithful to God and his church?

Are you in control of your emotions, or are you quick to fly off the handle?

Do you practice self-control in all you do? In eating, drinking, dealing with members of the opposite sex, in spending money, in spending your time?

Are you a person that’s easy to respect because of how you live your life? Do you have a good reputation, not only among those within the church, but those outside as well?

Are you hospitable, willing to open your home to others, generous with your time and money?

Are you given to violence, or are you gentle, even when provoked…by your wife and your children especially, but by anyone?

Are you peaceable, or are you quick to argue with people? Do you in fact take delight in causing a ruckus and stirring things up?

Are you a lover of money? Is money your god? Are you looking for the “good life” as defined by the world? Or are you as Paul was, content in all circumstances? (Philippians 4:11-13)

Do you manage your family well? Do your wife and children respect and love you?

All these are matters of character.

It’s also one reason why if you’re a young Christian, you should put off ideas of becoming a pastor.

The quality of humility is vital if you want to become a pastor. More than a few pastors have fallen because of pride, and people who become pastors when they are too young as Christians are especially susceptible to that.

If you have all these things, then there’s one last qualification you need: the ability to teach. You may know what you believe, but can you communicate it to those around you clearly?

But again, you may be the most gifted teacher, able to teach God’s word clearly and effectively, but if you don’t have the character to go along with that gift, you are not ready to be a pastor.

Do you want to become a pastor? What kind of character do you have?

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Galatians

Lifting those who lift you

Galatians

Pastors have a hard job. I certainly wouldn’t want to be one unless God specifically told me to do so.

Not only do they have to prepare the Sunday message, they have to constantly deal with the people within the church.

And on top of taking the burden of their people’s problems, they inevitably have to deal with complaints and criticisms along the way.

I doubt there is a church that exists where all the people are satisfied with their pastor and their church.

Our pastors have their own load to bear, the load Christ has given them in leading the church, but also in leading their families as well.

And with all the complaints and criticisms that get heaped on beyond that, that load can swiftly turn into overload.

I think Paul recognized that. And so while he told the Galatians that each person needs to carry their own load, he swiftly went on to say,

Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor. (Galatians 6:6)

In other words, our pastors and teachers feed us spiritually and lift us up. But they too need support with their burdens as well. So let us provide that support in whatever way we can.

Certainly, we should be providing financial support so that they can support themselves and their families, giving them the ability to focus on the load God has put on them to lead the church.

But I also think we need to share our words of encouragement and our prayers for them as well.

It’s so easy to see our pastors as super-Christians. To forget that they are just human as we are and need support just as we do. I forget that too sometimes.

So let us make a conscious effort to lift up our pastors. To pray for them, and let them know that we are doing so. To email them, or better yet, call them with a word of encouragement.

In short, let us be a blessing to our pastors.

How about you? Are you a blessing to your pastor?