What God Requires of a Pastor / Lo Que Dios Demanda De Un Pastor

Introduction

If you were to undergo open heart surgery, what would you look for in a surgeon?

Where did they go to medical school?

How many years of specialized training have they completed?

How many times have they done this procedure?

How many successful procedures have they performed?

What do other patients say about this surgeon?

What do we demand of a minister/pastor?

Many people only care that they be nice, charismatic, a good talker!

Others pick ministers based on seeing they are well liked and successful.

Others demand such high standards that even the Apostle Paul would not qualify to be a minister in their congregation. One such job description would read as follows:

35 years old with 40 years experience.

Tall but not too tall, thin but not too thin.

He smiles all the time.

He makes at least 15 calls to people in the community every day, visits people in their homes, and is always available in their office.

There are even other mistakes that people make when they think about the ministry.

Some people think that they were not able to make it into medical school, they don’t like manual labor, they absolutely hate customer service - so they decided to become a pastor.

After all, a pastor works just one day per week.

In other words, there are many who have unreasonable expectations of a pastor, others who attempt to hide their laziness by entering the ministry, and others who think anyone can do the work of the ministry.

However, we believe the church belongs to the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the head of the church.

Since Jesus is the head of the church this means he directs the life of the church.

Jesus Christ, through his Word, calls us to submit to his will even when it involves the government and leadership of his church.

Paul has a deep interest in that the church in Crete be healthy, strong, and stable.

Titus 1:5 NIV

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might put in order what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

Titus 1:5 NVI

Te dejé en Creta para que pusieras en orden lo que quedaba por hacer y en cada pueblo nombraras ancianos de la iglesia, de acuerdo con las instrucciones que te di.

Titus is instructed to appoint elders in every town.

There will be at least three words in this passage that refer to the same responsibility: elders and overseer (bishop).

The word elder does not refer to a person’s age. The word elder takes us back to the Old Testament where elders where the leaders within the various tribes of Israel. They were the mature townsmen who would give advice and help govern the people of God.

In the same way, pastors are called to give leadership, counsel, and guidance to the local church.

Notice how Paul instructs Titus to appoint elders. This is plural and refers to the fact that the local church should be given leadership by multiple men and not by a single pastor. This is the best case scenario because it helps the church to be lead by a plurality and protects the church of tyrannical rule.

The word overseer is sometimes translated as bishop. This does not refer to a hierarchical ministry when one is more important than another. Rather, this speaks about someone that supervises, watches over others - not as a policeman but as a person who watches out for the safety of the people of God.

In we are taught by the Holy Spirit the requirements that God requires of those who are truly called to the ministry. God requires:

Pastors govern their homes well

Pastors care well for the church

Pastors govern their life well

Pastors know the Word well

I. Pastors govern their homes well

I. Los pastores gobiernan bien su hogar

Titus 1:6 NIV

An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

Titus 1:6 NVI

El anciano debe ser intachable, esposo de una sola mujer; sus hijos deben ser creyentes, libres de sospecha de libertinaje o de desobediencia.

Notice

Paul says that ministers must be blameless.

Blameless does not refer to someone that is perfect. There are none that are perfect. The only truly blameless person is the Lord Jesus Christ.

Blameless refers to someone that cannot be accused of wrongdoing. This refers to someone who has walked uprightly.

A pastor must be blameless in a specific context - within the family.

Notice how the primary context where a minister must demonstrate themselves to be blameless is within their own household.

A pastor must be blameless as it relates to absolute faithfulness to their wife. A pastor must not be an adulterer. A pastor must not be a fornicator. Pastors who commit such a sin are disqualified from the ministry.

A pastor’s marriage must be an example for the church of God.

We all struggle in our marriages and yet God demands that the pastor’s marriage be an example of a strong Christian marriage.

People should not go into the ministry if there is not a strong conviction on the part of both husband and wife that the husband is called to the ministry. Otherwise, there will be ongoing conflict and a feeling of dissatisfaction that will become worse over time.

A pastor must also be blameless as it relates to his children.

The Word of God says the children should believe. Other translations say the children should be faithful.

Some think this verse says that a pastor’s children must be Christians. If children rebel against the gospel then the father is disqualified from the ministry.

Others think this verse says that a pastor must have faithful children that submit themselves to their father’s discipline. If the children are out of control and do not submit to their father’s discipline then the father is disqualified from the ministry.

I think the second option is the correct option for the following reasons:

No parent has control over the faith of their children.

Salvation is the work of God. It is God who grants faith and brings men to repentance.

Also, verse 6 gives examples of behavior that are related to out of control or rebellious children - leading me to believe that this verse demands that a pastor have children that are obedient and under control.

A pastor’s children must not be wild and disobedient.

Pastor’s must take great care in how they raise their children.

The entire congregation must pray for everyone’s children, with special care to pray for the children of their pastor.

Pastors should be careful not to be hypocrites. There are many pastors who are wonderful with the congregation and absolutely awful at home.

Why would the Word of God care so much about a pastor’s household?

The home is the training ground for being able to take care of the people of God.

If a pastor cannot govern their home well, how will they be able to take care of the people of God?

If a pastor cannot be loving and faithful to their wife how can they be faithful to their congregation?

If a pastor cannot raise disciplined children how can they help the congregation be disciples of Jesus Christ?

II. Pastors care well for the church

II. Los pastores cuidan bien de la iglesia

Titus 1:7 NIV

Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Titus 1:7 NVI

El obispo tiene a su cargo la obra de Dios, y por lo tanto debe ser intachable: no arrogante, ni iracundo, ni borracho, ni violento, ni codicioso de ganancias mal habidas.

Pastor’s must take care of the church of God.

He must be blameless. Once again we are told that the pastor must be blameless. He should not be open to accusations of being:

Overbearing - he should not be a tyrant as if he owned the church. He does not own the congregation, he is merely a servant of the people of God.

Quick-tempered - he should have his emotions and thoughts under control. He should not let his emotions get the best of him.

Drunkenness - he should not be addicted to any substance that would impair his judgement.

Violent - he should know how to handle conflict in the church of God. He should never be an instigator of conflict.

Attracted by dishonest gain - he should be wise with the church’s finances. He should be above reproach when it comes to the church’s finances.

We are not only told what a pastor should not be…we are also told what he should be:

Titus 1:8 NIV

Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

Titus 1:8 NVI

Al contrario, debe ser hospitalario, amigo del bien, sensato, justo, santo y disciplinado.

Titus 1:

He must be hospitable. This speaks to his love of people. He should be welcoming. He should be willing to receive people in his home.

He should love what is good. He should enjoy that which benefits others.

He should be self controlled (sensato). This speaks to being prudent. He should know when and how to speak.

He just be upright/just. He should be a fair person.

He should be holy. This speaks to his devotion and consecration to God. He should follow the examples of the prophets of old who were known as the “men of God.” Many ministers seek to be more like “men of the world” rather than being “men of God.”

III. Pastors govern their life well

III. Los pastores gobiernan bien su vida

The pastor is called to be disciplined. They should govern their life well.

God demands discipline of those who think they are called to the ministry.

We enjoy doin

Ministers must be disciplined with their time, their rest, their food consumption, and their bodies.

Ministers must be disciplined in their sermon preparation time.

Ministers must be disciplined in their cleanliness.

Ministers are to be an example. How many of us would go to a heart surgeon with a smoker’s voice?

IV. Pastors know their Bible well

IV. Los pastores conocen bien la Biblia

After we have considered what God demands we finally come upon the Lord’s demand upon pastors to know the Scriptures.

Titus 1:9 NIV

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

Titus 1:9 NVI

Debe apegarse a la palabra fiel, según la enseñanza que recibió, de modo que también pueda exhortar a otros con la sana doctrina y refutar a los que se opongan.

Pastors are called by God to care for his church. They are called to feed his sheep.

Sheep are to be led to green pastures and to streams of water. This is the word of God.

Sheep are not to be given junk food. Sheep are not to be entertained. Sheep are to be diligently fed with the whole counsel of God.

Pastors are to be faithful to the message of the word of God.

Sometimes people will love what we say.

Sometimes people will absolutely hate us for being faithful to the gospel.

We preach to be faithful to him who called us. Our goal is to be a faithful servant from God’s perspective.

We are called to study the Word of God, to prepare ourselves to expound God’s words to the people of God, we stand behind the pulpit and discharge our duty!

We are called to share the truth and refute false teaching.

Who is competent to fulfill the duty of being a pastor?

2 Corinthians 2:16 NIV

To the one we are an aroma that brings death; to the other, an aroma that brings life. And who is equal to such a task?

2 Corinthians 2:16 NVI

Para éstos somos olor de muerte que los lleva a la muerte; para aquéllos, olor de vida que los lleva a la vida. ¿Y quién es competente para semejante tarea?