Standards for Pastors (Part Two) by Dr. Rod Mattoon

About this sermon

1 Timothy 3:1-7... This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. 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; 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?) 6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. As we continue to look at the standards for the pastor, we will examine the meaning of the traits of vigilance and not given to wine. The Apostle Paul was very aware of the damaging effects of wine on a person's behavior, especially upon a man who was a political leader as well as a man who was a pastor of a church. A pastor is to have self-control over his temper, his passions, and tongue. He should avoid mind-altering drugs and wine. Those things that will cloud, impair, or distort his thinking and behavior should be shunned. That is not only good for the pastor, that should apply to all Christians because all believers are ambassadors for Christ. I am trying to stress the point to all Christians about the damage that is done to their Christian testimony and the bad example they set for others, especially their children and grandchildren when they drink liquor in any form. This bad example is on display for a church if a pastor drinks wine. That's why he is supposed to abstain from it. It would be pretty sad if the example of any Christian caused someone else to start drinking and eventually become a drunkard and lose his job, lose his family, or be killed in an accident because of drunk driving. Some may say, "That will never happen." My answer is, "How do you know it won't!" You have no guarantee that YOUR example may influence others to start to drink. You don't know the depths that alcohol will take a person. Each person is different. Evangeline Cory Booth, the fourth general of the Salvation Army said, "Drink has drained more blood, hung more crepe, sold more homes, armed more villains, slain more children, snapped more wedding rings, defiled more innocents, blinded more eyes, twisted more limbs, dethroned more reasons, wrecked more manhood, dishonored more womanhood, broken more hearts, driven more to suicide than any other scourge that ever swept across the world." We end this message looking at the meaning of the word “sober” and “of good behavior.” This message was preached on Sunday night, February 12, 2023, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Leadership