Standards for the Pastor (Part One) 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. In this third chapter of 1 Timothy, the curtain opens with the requirements for men who desire to be a pastor of a church. Many problems exist in churches today because there are men who are pastoring churches that should not be pastors because they don’t meet these requirements. These are not suggestions, they are requirements. They focus on the character of the man as well as his beliefs, his behavior, his burden, and his blamelessness in the areas that are mentioned. The requirements do not focus on the cosmetics of the man... how handsome he may look or his magnetic personality. Pastors are not in the entertainment business. They are to be in the exhorting, encouraging, and evangelizing business that requires diligent and prayerful study of the Word of God. It also requires that they take God's truths and live them out in their lives because their life preaches their most effective message. As we look through this list of standards for the pastor, we find that many of the items listed are not just for men who want to be pastors. God expects many of these requirements of all Christians, especially those that are moral and behavioral requirements. Purity, morality, dedication to God, and Christlike behavior are expected from all believers, not just pastors. In this 27-minute message, we will examine the meaning of blameless and the husband of one wife. We address the issue of divorce and remarriage in this message. This message was preached on Sunday morning, February 12, 2023 at Lincoln Land Baptist Church.

Topics

• Leadership