Standards for the Pastor (Part 4) 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. When we look at part four of Standards for the Pastor, we will explain the meaning of the word “novice”. The pastor is not to be a novice. What is that? We explain this. The pastor is also to have a good report. If a man is going to be a pastor, he needs to understand the importance of having a good testimony for Christ, especially with those who do not know Him as Savior. The word "report" marturia {mar-too-ree'-ah} is from a word that produced our English word martyr. This word refers to a report or testimony that is certified. Those in the community should know the pastor is a man of integrity. If a pastor has a bad reputation in the community, if he does not pay his bills, if he is corrupt in business matters, if he is immoral, it reflects upon the church as well as upon the cause of Jesus Christ. Many churches have changed the name of their church because of the sins or scandals of a former pastor. If a pastor does not guard his testimony, he is prone to fall into Satanic traps that will bind him spiritually, hamper him, or destroy his ministry. The trap may involve pride, selfishness, or sinful behavior. Satan desires to tempt all of us to do what is wrong. I think about the story of a young seminary couple that was struggling financially. They developed a budget and agreed to live within the numbers they had proposed. One day the wife passed by a window that displayed a dress she had wanted to buy. The devil whispered in her ear, "That dress would look good on you!" Knowing she couldn't afford it she thought, "What harm will it do to just go look?" As she made her way into the store she found the dress. She heard the devil whisper again, "Go ahead and try it on, that dress would look good on you!" She thought, "It won't hurt to try it on" so she did. Once she tried it on she stood in front of the mirror and Satan whispered once again, "Go ahead and buy the dress, it looks really good on you!" At that point, she realized she was being tempted and shouted, "Get thee behind me, Satan!" When she came home with the dress she told her husband what had happened. Frustrated he asked, "If you told Satan to get behind you, how did you end up buying the dress honey?" The wife said, "When I told him to get behind me, Satan said the dress looked good back there ,too." Haha! Beloved, Satan will work at every angle to make you fail, flop, and fall. Be cautious when tempted for it leads to sin and ultimately death. Remember, his mouth utters constant lies. His goal is to separate you from God. A pastor must remember that Satan is out to destroy him and his ministry. A pastor must understand that he has a target on his life. Satan is out to ensnare or ruin him. * 1 Peter 5:8-Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: * Colossians 4:5-Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time. A good report not only applies to the pastor, but it also applies to all Christians. Again, let me remind you that you are an ambassador of Jesus Christ. Guard your testimony for the Lord. If you mess up, repent, and take steps to clear your conscience with God with men. Don't make the mistake again. Go forward for Jesus Christ by the grace of God! This 27-minute message was preached on Sunday morning, February 19,2023, at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Leadership