I thought I'd put these all in one place, a series of articles I wrote for Facebook.
I. Thoughts on Pastors (11/9/09)

Lately, I've been very burdened for my friends and family at FBC. I keep thinking about Pastor Tim moving to Georgia, and the flock that is being left behind. I am so glad that this isn't taking God by surprise! It's his plan. He's still in control. No worries.

But I still keep thinking about everybody, especially those who are younger in the faith. They will be called upon to 'vote' for a new pastor at some point in the future. And with that thought in mind, I thought I'd send out a few Notes from my heart about what a biblical pastor is and is not.

The Master Pastor is Jesus. He is the Head of the church. He is the Example of what a pastor should be. And so we turn to Psalm 23.

"The LORD is my shepherd" - The word "my" shows that he is mine. It's not so much about ownership as it is about a personal relationship. The pastor who is like Jesus will be personable, not high and lofty. He is a friend as well as a leader. The pastor values each and every member of the flock; they are all dear to him.

"I shall not want." - No single man can supply all of a church's needs, but he can point that church to the Savior every chance he gets. What need do you have? Christ is sufficient for that!

"He maketh me to lie down in green pastures:" - FOOD!! A sheep lying in a green pasture is like a fat boy at Denny's! A pastor after God's own heart will feed the flock of God (Acts 20:28) with the word of God. 1 Peter 2:2 tells us that young Christians need to feed on the Bible so that they can grow. If a pastor isn't feeding, he's not doing a good job at leading.

"he leadeth me beside the still waters." - A biblical pastor does not drive the flock from behind; he leads from the front. He is to be an example because he is a doer of the word, and not just a hearer. Beware the pastor who never leaves his study! Like the pharisees of old, they say and do not (Matt. 23). And a biblical pastor leads his flock to still waters - the waters of rest. Rest. The pastor who is not leading his flock into the 'rest that is in Christ Jesus,' who is not opening to them the wonders of grace, acceptance, and peace with God, is not doing it God's way. Just as we ought to beware the pastor who never leaves his study, we ought to beware the pastor who labors in the strength of the flesh, and not in the power of the Spirit.

"He restoreth my soul:" - Jesus is in the restoration business! He doesn't write off anybody! He is the God of 2nd chances, and 3rd chances, and 4th chances,...! A biblical pastor is a man of mercy. He sees the treasure in each church member. He doesn't give up on anyone.

"he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake." - Sin is still sin, and it still destroys lives. We are to be relevant with the world, but we are not to walk with it. We are not to pitch our tents toward Sodom, like Lot, living carelessly in the presence of sin. A real pastor, a true shepherd, will protect his flock from the ravages of sin, self and Satan. He is not ignorant of Satan's devices. And he knows that the only path to JOY is holiness. (Hebrews 1:9 Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows.)

"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." - The pastor who walks after the example of Jesus does not sequester himself in the church building. He walks through this world of suffering with his flock. He 'weeps with those that weep.' He visits their sick. He buries their dead. Through the power of the Comforter, he comforts them in Jesus' name.

"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies:" - Celebration. It's a lost art in the church. Much of the church is tired and weary. A true pastor brings out the treasures of heaven and sets them in all their blinding glory before the members of his church. He causes their eyes to see that which is not, that they may rejoice with joy unspeakable. That they may celebrate, he prepares the feast before them, yes, even in the presence of the Enemy...and he leads them to rejoice with holy abandon, hearts singing unto the God who delivered them! the God who saved them!


" thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over." - The anointing breaks the yoke of bondage. The anointing teaches us all things. The biblical pastor is not afraid of the things of the Spirit. He knows that where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. He ministers the Spirit (Galatians 3) to hungry, longing souls. The Spirit is the strength when we are weak. He is the wisdom when we are uncertain. He is the stamp and seal of God upon a ministry. Beware the pastor who knows the letter, but not the Spirit. His words will hurt like thrown stones, but there will be no healing afterward...only brokenness. Is your cup running over? If not, then who will fill it for you?

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." - When the pastor is of God, the church will flourish. The members will want to be in church. They will brag about their church. They will see it as a place of goodness. They will see it as a place of mercy...both extended to others, and received themselves.


II. The Transgressions of Pastors (11/10/09)

There is a principle used in Bible study that is called the "Law of First Mention." Basically, you look for the first time that a word is used in the Bible to find out God's primary usage of that word. With that in mind, let us look at the word 'pastors.'

Jeremiah 2:8 "The priests said not, Where is the LORD? and they that handle the law knew me not: the pastors also transgressed against me, and the prophets prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit."

OUCH!!

"The priests said not, Where is the LORD?" - The word 'LORD' is all capitalized. This is the word which translates the Hebrew word 'Jehovah' and means 'He who is and will be.' He is the 'I AM.' He is the Almighty, Self-Existent, Self-Sufficient GOD! But the priests did not ask, Where is the LORD? They had a form of godliness, but they lacked the power thereof. They were sufficient in their own selves, never looking to the LORD as their sufficiency. They leaned upon the arm of flesh not the Everlasting Arms of God. Beware the self-sufficient pastor! Rather, look for a man of God who is also a man of faith. A man who echoes the words of Paul, "Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God;" (2 Cor 3).

"they that handle the law knew me not" - This is a very familiar theme in the Scriptures: men who know the Bible but not the God of the Bible. "Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth." Facts fill a man's head, but the Holy Spirit sheds abroad in our hearts the love of God. It is not enough to know the words of God, a pastor must also know God himself. How can you tell if a man knows God or doesn't know God? "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love." (I John 4) "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

"the pastors also transgressed" - "Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written." (Romans 2) A man who would lead other men must first lead himself. If he cannot lead himself to walk with God, how will he lead another man to walk with God? As the saying goes, More is caught than taught. Just as children learn more by what daddy does than by what he says, so a church member learns more by what their pastor does than what he says. [And, to go a bit further down the road of Grace, the member will learn more by what a pastor IS than by what he does. But that is for another Note :)]

"the prophets prophesied by Baal" - Baal was a man of God who took money from the enemies of God in exchange for destroying the flock of God. Woe to the pastor who is "greedy of filthy lucre," whose master is 'mammon' and not the Lord, whose god is his belly. Praise God for the pastor who boldly stands before the children of God and proclaims, "As for me and my house, we will serve the LORD." Praise God for the pastor who cares more about souls than salary! Praise God for the pastor who loves the redeemed more than riches! God give us pastors like Moses who 'esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt!' who have 'respect unto the recompence of the reward!'

"and walked after things that do not profit" - The final rebuke of the LORD is against the pastor who walks after those things that do not profit. He spins his wheels. He is busy with activity but not effective for God. His schedule is full of things to do, but his heart isn't full of God. He doesn't see the profit of walking after God. Beware the pastor who sees the advantage of material things but not profit of spiritual things. He is carnal, still a babe himself, and has need that one teach him "again which be the first principles of the oracles of God." He is Laodicean saying, "I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing;" and knows not that he is wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked.

These rebukes may be summed up: God wants spiritual pastors to lead his children. He rebukes the materialistic, carnal, self-sufficient man who takes upon himself the role of pastor, lacking even the realization that it is a spiritual role and outside the strength of any man. God's desire is a that his beloved children be fed with words mixed with faith that they may grow up into Him, into the image of Christ, unto the glory of God throughout all ages.
III. God's Gift to the Church: The Pastor (11/11/09)

I have a very heavy spirit about FBC lately. I feel almost compelled to write these little notes.

Ephesians 4 tells us, "Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. "

When the Lord Jesus Christ ascended up to heaven, he poured out the gift of the Spirit, the Promise of the Father. This Spirit anointed men. Some were anointed as prophets, some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers.

Paul goes on to tell us why the Lord gave us these anointed men.

"For the perfecting of the saints," - Perfection is a little understood term nowadays. Some have taken it to mean maturity. That's close but not quite right. A young apple tree is 'perfectly' an apple tree; it is not even partially a cherry tree, or even a little bit a pear tree. This perfect little apple tree will continue to be a perfect apple tree as long as it lives, even though it is maturing for its entire lifetime. So it is not exactly maturity. More than that, it has to do with the NATURE of the thing. Even young believers may be 'perfect.' How so? By yielding themselves entirely to their Lord. Will they make mistakes? Will they make wrong choices? Certainly. They are young believers after all. But the question is: are they perfect? Are they sold out? Do they hold anything back from God? Do they reserve the right to veto God's will for their lives? Or have they climbed up on the altar of God and begged for him to make of them a burnt offering, sweet and savory in the nostrils of God? The perfecting of the saints, this bringing about of yielded-ness and surrender, is then the first job of a pastor. Not that the young apple trees or young believers will bear fruit in their first year, or even in their second. But when they are old enough, they will.

And that brings us to the next point:

"for the work of the ministry," - The pastor is not to be the sole minister of the church. He is to nurture and strengthen the flock of God so that THEY are fit to do the work of the ministry. Not only so, but by leading them into lives yielded to God, they will not only be fit for the work, but they will DESIRE to do the work. The pastor from God will be surrounded by those who are surrendered, and who are serving.

Which leads into the next point:

"for the edifying of the body of Christ:" - A church that is surrendered to the Lord will show forth the life of the Lord. It will not be them that live, but Christ who lives in them. And this will be a life of love. God is love, and love is of God. Love is what edifies (strengthens, firms up, settles) a Christian. As he learns to live in the grace and mercy of God, he will grow to edify others. Only those who KNOW they are forgiven can forgive others. Only those who have been given grace can extend grace. Only those who know that 'the Lord is my strength' can strengthen others.

"Till we all come in the unity of the faith," - Unity is the direct result of submission to God, and love for men. Tempers are eased. Love covers a multitude of sins. Joy is the order of the day. And the politics of religion are replaced by the unity of the faith.


"and of the knowledge of the Son of God," - And through each other, we learn more about Jesus. He moves through us as we forgive one another, serve one another, bless one another, and pray for one another. We see him. We hear him. We know him. Through each other.


"unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ:" - And we grow to be like him. In an ever upward circling arc, we bless and are blessed. We lift up and are lifted up. We encourage and are encouraged. The body edifying itself, lifting itself upward into the image of God's own Son.

"That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;" - The reality of Christ overshadows false doctrine. Truth is known because it is revealed by the Spirit. A circle if formed, a protective barrier, a shield of faith. The young believers are protected by the elder. The weaker by the stronger. Christ is all, and in all.

"But speaking the truth in love," - Truth is mixed with love. Justice tempered by mercy. We care enough to speak, we love enough to speak the truth.

"may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:" - And again, the body grows. Like a sparkling city stretching up to heaven, higher and higher she climbs. More and more nobler are her people. Christ Jesus is the Light of the city, and the Temple thereof. God is the wall about her and the glory in the midst (Zech. 2).

"From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love." - The body, the whole body is fitly joined together. None is left out, none is forgotten. Each participating, each drawing strength and life from the other.

Edifying itself in love. Founded about Christ Jesus and yet reaching forth unto Christ Jesus.


This is the job of a pastor. It is beyond the strength of any man. It is the Anointing of God.

IV. Chez Pastor: Fine Dining and a Show (11/12/09)

In Jeremiah 3:15 the Lord states,

"... I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. "


The word used here for 'pastors' is the exact same word used for 'feed.'

In other words, 'I will give you FEEDERS according to mine heart, which shall FEED you with knowledge and understanding.'

A pastor then is a feeder. A spiritual restaurant entrepreneur. And as such, he is to feed the people of God 'that they may grow thereby.'

He must provide an atmosphere suited for eating, warm and welcoming. The place must be clean, and the price affordable. The lighting not too bright, or too dark. The music must invite and encourage the patrons to stay... just a little bit longer.

But most importantly, the food must be good. It has to hit the spot, and stick to your ribs, and yet be light and delicate like a flaky crust. It must be nourishing, and spicy, and leave you wanting more.

The word here for 'knowledge' is a special word. De'ah means specifically the 'knowledge of God.'

Oh! Now that is tasty! Feed them with the knowledge of God, with words both intimate and familiar. With words high and majestic. With words that cannot be uttered. With words that are spiritual and full of life.

Unveil the platter of God's goodness. Reveal the deliciousness of an all-satisfying God. Set before them the mouth-watering truths of redemption dripping with copious amounts of grace.

And the people will come.

THAT is the job of a pastor.

V. The Shepherd and the Flock. More thoughts on Pastors. (11/21/09)

A church is a powerful thing. It has the power to 'vote' in a man as its pastor. Or not.

But the flock choosing the shepherd? What a novel thought!

Under ordinary circumstances, there are three ways that a shepherd can gain a flock:

1) He can purchase the flock.
2) He can gain the flock through inheritance.
3) Or he can receive the flock as a gift.

But the sheep choose the shepherd? No. Not really.

So, here is something to consider. If a pastor doesn't ordinarily purchase his church family, and if most pastors don't gain their church through inheritance, although a few have been passed from father to son, then most of the time the pastor receives his church as a gift.

Paul said that the Lord put him into the ministry counting him faithful. The Lord gave him the ministry, but he also gave the ministry to him.

When a man is faithful, when he is a good man (I Timothy 3), the Lord God gives to him a flock. This flock is a gift. It is both a reward for his faithfulness, and a gift of love from a Father's heart.

This flock is his family to be nurtured. It is his flock to be guided. It is his building to be edified. It is his children to be trained.

The church votes for the pastor? Yes, it's true. And through the overshadowing sovereignty of God, a gift is given to a man. The sheep vote for the shepherd even as God gives them to the him.

Dear flock, shine for your shepherd. You are his gift. Be precious to him. Delight him.

Not only because he watches over your souls to give an account.

But because you are God's gift to him.

VI. I Timothy 3 - The Qualifications of a Pastor (11/29/09)
Yep, still thinking about my friends at FBC. I was just listening to Pastor Tim's final sermon; it's just a THING! Good stuff. Even a new pastor for the church -- that's nothing for God. It's just another THING.

When a church is looking for a new pastor, what should they look for? A nice guy? A pal, a buddy, a friend? Perhaps a scholar with a Masters Degree?

What does the Bible say?

Chapter 3 of 1 Timothy gives God's views on the matter. Taking a step back and looking at the list, it can be summed up: He must be a good man.

Verse 1: "This is a true saying, if a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work."

The first qualification is seen here. He must desire to be the pastor. It has to be in his heart to do it. Certainly, it is a calling, but he must willingly obey that calling. More than that, he must be passionate to perform the work of a pastor. First, his heart must be right. (The word 'bishop' means 'overseer' and is another title for 'pastor.')

Verse 2: "A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;"

Here Paul begins to write out a check list for Timothy. Because the pastor is the chief example to the flock, he MUST be blameless. He has to not just teach men how to live; he must show them how to live. More is caught than taught. This man will have to stand before men and speak for God. "The righteous are bold as a lion" and God wants a man who is bold to speak the truth, and bold to live the truth. Everything else is debatable, but not this point. He MUST be blameless.

He must be the husband of one wife. Not two wives. At the time, it was common for men to take more than one wife. But this cannot be so with a pastor. He is to show forth the love of Christ for his Bride. One man, one woman. That is God's declaration. Again, he is to be the example to the flock of how to live. His marriage life must be exemplary.

Vigilant. He has to have his eyes in his head. He is the Bishop, the overseer. He is a watchman guarding the flock of God. He cannot be lazy. He cannot let his attention wander. He must be alert to wolves and false doctrine, to sickness among the sheep, etc.

Sober. Simply put, he must not be a drunk. But applying that to all of his life, he must have a balanced outlook on life. He must be sober-minded. Not overly-serious, mind you. It's good to laugh. But he must know when to laugh, and when not to. He must not be addicted to anything of this world. His love must be for the Lord.

Of good behaviour. Example, example, example. Do you see it? Paul is repeating to Timothy the same thing over and over; the man must be a good example to the people. He must make right choices, and follow through on those choices. He must be a doer of the word; not just a reader. He must do good even when it hurts.

Given to hospitality. In another place, Paul says that he must be a lover of good men. Is he welcoming? Warm? He will be in the people-business.

Apt to teach. My favorite :) He is an example by his life, and he is a teacher by his words. He uses every facility at his command to communicate GOD to the people. He doesn't have to try to teach; he is apt to teach. Going to Cedar Point? Yeah, he's apt to teach about Jesus while standing in line. Going on a hayride? Again, he's apt to teach about Jesus there to. He is a revealer of the secrets of God, an illustrator of God's story book. He explains, expounds, and holds up the diamonds of Scripture so that even the poorest mind can delight in its riches.

The list goes on, and I'll probably do a Part 2 later. But I think the point is made. He must be a good man. An above average man. A blameless man.

Not everyone can be a pastor. The qualifications are very high.