A Pastor Is Qualified

Introduction

Good morning, I want to invite you to open in your Bibles to 1 Timothy 3:1-7. That is 1 Timothy 3:1-7. that is on page ____ if you are using one the Bible’s scattered throughout the chairs. Again, that is page ____ if you are using one of the Bible’s scattered throughout the chairs.

Today as a church, we are starting what will be a month long process of calling another Elder, Kendall Heaton, to help me pastor our church. This is a really exciting thing. It is an answer to a prayer I have been praying years, before we even officially planted our church in 2021. We have also had the explicit desire to have a plurality of pastors here at Redemption Hill, but God in His Providence withheld that good thing for a time, but I am so thankful that we are now at a place where we will call our second pastor. This is a really good thing for our church.

Churches are often built slowly one piece at a time, and though we became a church on Oct. 3, 2021 and we did things that only churches do like, call a pastor, and practice the ordinances together (Baptism and the Lord’s Supper), and have an official church membership through covenant. … we are still building this church once piece at a time. We are kind of like an adolescent in this way. We aren’t a child, but we also are not an adult. As a teenager you might do adult things like drive a car, get your first job, shave. Yet, you still don’t pay all your bills, own a home, etc. Your growing into adulthood. In getting to a plurality, that is multiple pastors, we are growing into church “adulthood”. And this process, like teenage life, can be awkward and sometimes confusing. So, that is why over the next four weeks we are going to take some time and preach about what a pastor is. My goal is to bring clarity to you about this really important aspect of church life. Today we see that a Pastor is Qualified as we look at the pastor’s character. Next week we look at what a pastor is at Redemption Hill Church. Week 3 we will see that a Pastor is a Teacher and Guard, and finally on week 4 we will see that a pastor is a shepherd.

During this process our church member’s will have a series of meetings starting today after the service. We will take a short 5 minute break after our service, grab our kids and let them run wild on the other side of the gym and have a short nomination meeting. It will not take long, if you are member please stick around. Then January 18th we will have a Q&A at Creekside Church at 4 with me and Kendall, and then January 25th we will have another meeting with a lunch provided here at the community center right after service where we will have our vote of affirmation. If you any questions or concerns during this process please call, text, or email me.

Our text for today is 1 Timothy 3:1-7 let’s read that together as we see that a Pastor is to be Qualified

Godly v. 1-3

1 Timothy 3:1–3 “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.”

In verse one we see a term that many of us might be unfamiliar with, the term overseer. In our context, which is a baptist church, we typically refer to pastors as pastors or as elders, but in the Bible there is a third term often used to describe this same office which is overseer. This term can also be translated as bishop. However, because of other high church governments in which bishops over see multiple churches, we typically shy away from this term. In an effort to be clear we typically use the terms Elder or Pastor. So, in baptist church government the titles of pastor, elder, and overseer are synonymous terms. Which means they are three terms which describe the same office. We can see this most clearly in a passage like Acts 20:17 “Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.” and Acts 20:28 “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”

The Elders gather together and then they are told pay careful attention to the flock, that is, they’re to shepherd or pastor the people of God. The word pastor is a transliteration, of the latin word pastur which means to shepherd. And they are made (given the title) overseers by the Holy Spirit.

Therefore since as Baptists we see these three terms as being the same, when we read these qualifications in 1 Tim. 3 we read them as applying to the office of pastor/elder as well.

We find here in verse 2-3 7 positive qualifications and 4 prohibitions. 7 things that a pastor must be and 4 things he cannot be. I do not believe this is an exhaustive list, but rather a rough outline of what a pastor needs to be. For example, if a pastor is not humble they are still not qualified to be a pastor even though that particular attribute is not listed. A pastor is most importantly to be a godly man. They cannot have a glaring character deficiency and still be qualified. Yet, I do think there is great reward in taking closer look at each of these listed attributes.

What we will see is that a pastor is to simply be a mature Christian. And so as we take a brief look at these attributes, whether you aspire to be a pastor or not, each Christian in this room should aspire to grow in these qualities. I believe we would all say, I want to be above reproach, faithful to my spouse, a good parent, etc. So, let us this morning take a look at these attributes and be willing to ask the Lord, God where do I need to grow? What in my life needs to change in order to be more godly.

The first attribute is to be above approach. A pastor has to live his life in such a way that he is thought of positively, in a sense he is to be admirable man. Early in my pursuit of pastoral ministry I asked my cousin, who is pastor, what do I need to do to be a pastor. He told me, “live like teflon” I said, “What does that mean?” He said, “Live in such a way that nothing sticks to you.” Teflon is a non-stick product you use on pots and pans, and his point was be holy. Live above reproach, live in such a way that if people falsely accuse you, their accusations will not stick. The apostle Peter reminds Christians 1 Peter 2:15 “For this is the will of God, that by doing good you should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people.”

Second, an elder is to be the husband of one wife. He is to be faithful to his wife. He cannot be an adulterer, he cannot be a polygamists. If a pastor cheats on his spouse, he is not qualified to lead the people of God. He is to be a one woman man. I do not think this requires a pastor to be married, Jesus was not married and he is the Chief Shepherd of the flock, and we know that Paul chose to remain single in 1 Cor. 7. Put I do think that typically pastors will be married, and this is why Paul mentions this. It is imperative that a pastor be a faithful husband as an example to the men of his church, and as a guard against the schemes of the enemy in his own life.

Third, he is to be sober minded. While drunkeness and being a drunkard is forbidden later in the text I believe this is referring to the serious nature of the office. A man who aspires to be a pastor must have a clear view of the duty he taking. It is not a glorious title. The call to be a pastor is a solemn duty in which you chose to lay down your life, your wants, your desires, your comforts, your career, your time over and over again for the sake of the church. And most of what a pastor does is not seen by the majority of the congregation. Before taking on the title, a pastor must soberly understand the nature of the role. It is often a hard and thankless duty. A duty aspired to by the man, but only called to by a specific local church. You do this duty for the glory of God, not the accolades of men.

Fourth, a pastor must be self-controlled. I spent 8 eight years as a Pastor in Training at Paramount Church. That is a lot longer than most, because I am a slow learner. In that time we would have Trimester reviews in which we would meet with the pastors and talk about our growth… or lack of it. In those early days, I remember Rush telling me, “Josh, the pastor has to be the guy who keeps his cool. When everyone else is panicked that pastor brings calm.” What Rush was explaining to me was the quality of self-control. Pastors cannot be ruled their emotions like anger, fear, discouragement, or worry. They cannot be ruled by the desires of their flesh the desires of comfort, ease, or respect. They must be men who are self-controlled. Self-control is found in the emotional middle. So, if you are prone to melancholy, overreaction, outburst of anger, cycling anxiety then don’t be a pastor. This may seem like a small thing, but in pastoral ministry this will kill you, your marriage, and your relationship with your kids, the elder team, and the church.

Fifth, he must be respectable. He must be able to say with the apostle Paul 1 Corinthians 11:1 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.” Do the men and women of the church look at the pastor and say, that guy can help me be more like Jesus. He has my respect, and therefore he has my ear.

Sixth, he must be hospitable. Ok on this one I cheat a little. You see, I appear to be more hospitable than I am, because Brittany is really hospitable. And sometimes pastors get lucky because they marry well. I did. That can go for all of these qualities. For the men who want to be pastors, God gave you your wife and she will make you a better pastor. Back to hospitality, a pastor’s life is an open life. So your home is an open home. Pastors are men you make others feel welcome.

And all of these are so important because men who do the first six, will be more effective in the seventh quality. A pastor must be able to teach. Most books on preaching rightfully talk about the ethos or the ethical life of a preacher. You see, teaching will be ineffective if it comes from a hypocrite. In fact, a holy life will teach more than a charismatic or well educated man.

Yet, a godly man must also have the ability to teach others how to live the Christian life. With that said, the teaching ministry of pastors can and will vary from pastor to pastor. Some pastors will preach more frequently than others, some will use music to teach the congregation, like Kendall, some will spend more time teaching the youth than other fellow pastors, some will have a more prolific and effective counseling ministry than other fellow pastors. As our Elder team grows, but God’s grace so will the style and method of teaching in the life of our church. A pastor must be able to teach, and he must be able to teach the Bible. But it is ok, and in fact good, for the teaching ability and methodology to vary within a church’s plurality.

Those the seven things a pastor must be, here are the four he cannot be.

He cannot be a drunkard. Ephesians 5:18 “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit,” And Proverbs 31:4–5 “It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to take strong drink, lest they drink and forget what has been decreed and pervert the rights of all the afflicted.” Pastors have too many important things to be doing to waste time of getting drunk. It is a debauchery to be drunk, you do unrespectable things, you are likely to hit on women who are not your wife, you are not sober-minded, you can’t teach the bible when drunk… When drunk you cannot be the seven things required to be a pastor. Men who lack self-control get drunk. Pastors cannot be drunkards, they cannot be men who are getting drunk. Lest the forget in their drunkness what God has decreed.

He cannot be violent but he must be gentle. Pastors don’t get in fist fights, and they don’t respond to challenge with threats or a domineering attitude. They don’t stick their chest out and use intimidation to get their way.

They also cannot be quarrelsome. They do not respond in violence to the challenges of others, rather they respond in gentleness. And they don’t go looking for fights. They are not men who just like controversy and conflict. Listen to how Paul tells Timothy how to respond to opponents, his challengers. 2 Timothy 2:22–26 “So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels. And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but kind to everyone, able to teach, patiently enduring evil, correcting his opponents with gentleness. God may perhaps grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, after being captured by him to do his will.” Be holy, pursue those the call on the Lord from a pure heart, go after those who will give you their ear, and when it comes to engaging with your opponents do so with kindness, teaching them, patiently enduring evil, and correcting them (speak the truth) with gentleness… because you might actually see them repent.

Finally, a pastor cannot be a lover of money. 1 Timothy 6:3–10 “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain, for we brought nothing into the world, and we cannot take anything out of the world. But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.” The love of money can lead to compromise in any man’s life. In the pastor’s life it can influence his teaching ministry. He will pull his punches when the text dictates he needs to swing hard if he knows it will upset mr. big giver. He might even preach heresy and sell his soul if he longs for material gain more than Jesus. Be content and you will remain faithful to the truth.

Leads His Family Well v. 4-5

1 Timothy 3:4–5 “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 God’s church?”

This text mirrors Titus 1:6 “if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.” I think it would be better to translate the text as faithful rather than believers. A pastor cannot be held responsible for something that is the pure sovereign work of God. Conversion is not the direct result of good parenting, just like unbelief isn’t the direct result of bad parenting. People with good parents reject Christ and people with bad parents embrace him. We come to faith according to sovereign work of God alone. So, I believe Paul is saying the children are faithful to the teaching on their parents, and in that faithful to God as far as they can be as children who are yet to be converted.

However, God works according to his ordained means, and the prayers and faithfulness of parents does create the fertile soil for faith to grow. So, good parenting is a good thing that can make our children wise unto salvation. Yet, if conversion of our kids is a requirement for pastoral ministry I would be qualified and disqualified as each of my four kids grew up, and I don’t even know how a church would be able to determine when my kids are old enough to convert or not. That kind of a standard is impossible to apply. Rather, I think Paul is telling Titus and Timothy that men who are pastors and fathers must parent in a way that is faithful to God’s word. Ephesians 6:4 “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” Pastors must raise their children to love God and His word, but they do not do it such a way that they provoke them to anger. This is not a call to parent like a tyrant. A good pastor is not a man who strikes terror into his children because of his wrath toward their misbehavior. However, he also can be a man who commands no respect from his kids. His household has to be under control.

Loving fatherhood typically invokes respect and love from children. A man who wins over his children to do what is right and God honoring through a consistent and faithful life is the kind of man who can do the same with a congregation. Pastors lead the congregation into biblical faithfulness, but not through dominance. They do it through the exercise of loving and kind authority. The type of authority that a good father exercises with his children.

So, can a pastors kids live like total heathens open to the charge of debauchery, no. Do they need to be submissive to their parents, yes. Just remember to make these judgements on the whole and not in my kids or in Kendall’s kids worst moments. And don’t just judge a potential pastor on his kid’s misbehavior, judge the pastor on how he handles that misbehavior. The concept that Pau is teaching, is that the way the pastor handles his children’s sin is the way he will handle your sin. So, again we see the helpfulness of the middle. If a pastor flies off the handle at each minor infraction of a kid, you are in store for church culture that will be harsh and legalistic. If the pastor lets his kids scream in his face, run wild all over town, live a debaucherous and insubordinate life then get ready for a church culture where sin is rampant and chaos abounds.

But if a pastor, like most pastors has normal kids who sin, he has toddlers who throw tantrums, teenagers that roll their eyes, stomp off or wear weird hairstyles from time to time watch not how they sin, but how he responds to their sin. And just maybe give that pastor and his family a little more grace and little more time. The consistent loving nurture and discipline of a good father will usually have its way over time. Those toddlers will grow up, those teens will come to their senses, and those pastors will prove themselves qualified.

Difficult Prey for the Devil v. 6-7

1 Timothy 3:6–7 “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.”

These mentions of the devil, in context, probably refer to two church leaders who started teaching things that were untrue. One of which also is referred to in 2 Timothy as one who is quarrelsome. We read this in 1 Timothy 1:18–20 “This charge I entrust to you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the prophecies previously made about you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, holding faith and a good conscience. By rejecting this, some have made shipwreck of their faith, among whom are Hymenaeus hai·muh·nay·uhs and Alexander, whom I have handed over to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.” We don’t know if they were new converts who were promoted to quickly to being Elders, but perhaps they were. They did fail to hold fast to their faith and a good conscience, and in 2 Tim. 2 we are told Hymeneus hai·muh·nay·uhs was teaching that the resurrection already happened. Because of their unfaithfulness Paul hands them over to Satan so that they might learn to not blaspheme. This is similar to what Paul says when a man is disciplined by the church in 1 Corinthians 5:4–5 “When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord.” This man in 1 Cor. 5 and these men in 1 Timothy 1 are brought before the church and excommunicated from the church. They are treated as non-believers in the hopes that the tactics of the devil would be so severe that they would flee the devil and return to Christ. James 3:1 “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.”

There are two reasons as to why we move slowly to lay hands on an Elder. 1. For the sake of the Elder, 2 for the sake of the church. An Elder is held to higher standard and gets a direct of his back once taking the office. Satan, wants to take him down. We ought to ensure the man is ready, and will not make easy prey for the devil. Second, the church should be able to watch a man live for a significant amount of time before being asked to lay hands or affirm a man for Eldership. If a church is to soberly call a man to pastor it, it is only right that they church has time to observe the man’s life.

In our church our bylaws dictate that a man be a member of the church for at least three years before being eligible to become an Elder. There is nothing magical about 3 years, but some sort of stipulation on time is a wise thing. By going slow, we are attempting to be wise. It is cruel for church to call a man who is not ready for the office. If he does not have a signifiant time of testing before taking on the office, you are setting him up to fail.

My friend Wes Burke once told me, “The best way to make a pastor is slow bake in a healthy church.” With Wes’s influence I usually tell interns you’re pork butt not steak. If you were steak we could lap you on the grill flip you once and serve you to the church, but you’re not. You will best served low and slow in the smoker of healthy church life. Sanctification takes time. The testing ground for eldership is the regular life of a healthy church.

The pastor must also by well thought of by outsiders so he doesn’t fall into the devil’s trap and be disgraced. He needs to have a good reputation with those outside of the church. He needs to be a Christian and live out his faith everywhere he goes. It should never be that someone discover a man is a pastor before knowing he is a Christian. He needs to live faith facing in every aspect of life. If he is a hypocrite and we make him a pastor, then the trap is set. He will fall and take the church’s reputation down with him. The devil wants to set that trap, he wants to fool the church into affirming a man who lives one way in front of his church friends and another way in front of his none church friends.

Conclusion

In today’s text are given a list of qualifications for a pastor. A list that we would all agree are of worthy pursuit for every Christian. This list and other similar to it function in Scripture in two ways. These two functions are different sides of the same coin. There is the assurance of grace and the call to holiness. On one side of the coin we know that no one is perfect. That no one lives up to all of these qualities, save one. Jesus is perfect, and Jesus is our Chief Shepherd. Do not put your hope in pastors they will fail you. Pastors also cannot put their hope in themselves of other pastors, instead we all need the perfect one. We need Jesus.

Yet, there is another side to the coin. This list is a call to holiness in a pastor’s life. This side of the coin does have a Gospel centered function as well. You see when a man lives a life that does reflect these qualifications, even if he does this imperfectly he is doing something amazing. He is by God’s grace showing us what the good life looks like. When men live qualified, they give us a faint glimpse of the goodness of the Christian life. They show us how to be truly happy.

So let us all run toward these qualities regardless of our title. Let us live, like Jesus has changed us and show the world what the good life is like. Let’s pray.