Sermon 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Characteristics of a Pastor

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

New Covenant Presbyterian Church

Sermon 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 Characteristics of a Pastor

November 5, 2017

Let’s begin this morning with an Interim Update. I came to New Covenant church last Spring as Interim Pastor to help you through the process of finding a new pastor.   The first thing we had to do was cleanup.   We cleaned up some clutter which had accumulated in the building.   And we cleaned up your membership roles so that we know who are the active members of this church.   We then began a brainstorming process where the congregation put ideas on sheet of paper in the education building

With this work behind us we can now focus our attention on the next phase of the transition process.  The nominating committee of the church is a work find active members who can serve on a pastor nominating committee and the three boards of the church.   When they are finish session will call a congregational meeting to ask you to ratify these nominations.   Once the congregation has selected a pastor nominating committee, work will start writing a mission study and search for a pastor.   All this takes time.   But the more time and effort you put into the process, the better the result.   And you want a pastor who fits well with this congregation.    We will talk more today about characteristics of a good pastor, but first let’s pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Paul and Silas has had a rough time in Philippi.   Their preaching faced great opposition, but they continued.   They wanted to faithful to God.   And being faithful sometimes means being unpopular.   But when a preacher persists, even in the face of suffering for it, you know that the preacher is not doing it for selfish motives.   You know that the preacher is speaking for God.   Through ordination God gives preachers a gospel to proclaim and a call to proclaim it.   And this is the most important thing that pastor does, not to please people, but to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

The reason a pastor proclaims the gospel is because he cares for his congregation.   He loves the congregation and wants its members to grow spiritually.   Like a mother providing milk for a child, a pastor proclaims the word of God to his congregation for their benefit.  He hopes to watch as his congregation grows into disciples of Jesus Christ.  And so sharing the gospel, for a pastor, is truly a delight and a calling.

Let’s turn now to the second chapter of the Book of 1 Thessalonians to hear from Paul about the characteristics of a pastor.

1 Thessalonians 2:9 Surely you remember, brothers and sisters, our toil and hardship; we worked night and day in order not to be a burden to anyone while we preached the gospel of God to you. 10 You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.

Paul gives us three characteristics of a good pastor.   First, he tells us that pastors work hard, day and night.   Pastor put in long hours.   They rise early to pray for the church.   They meet people, design worship services, proof bulletins, prepare for classes and write sermons.   The one hour or so you see on Sunday mornings and at Bible studies requires preparation.   The preparation is crucial for a pastor to be both faithful to God and helpful to the congregation.   So when you call a new pastor for New Covenant Church  remember that he or she will spend long hours, sometimes late into the night preparing for the important, God given, task of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ to you.

The second characteristic of a good pastor is that he or she is, as Paul says, “holy, righteous and blameless.”   This is an important characteristic.    You want your pastor to be someone you can follow.   Only a person who allows the Holy Spirit to guide his or her actions is suitable for this work.   A pastor who steals from the church or is unfaithful to his wife cannot lead others into discipleship of Christ.   So when you call a pastor, check references and make sure that he or she is a good person.   And remember that we believe in change, transformation and growth.   A person’s past should not be held against them if their present is pleasing to God.

And the third characteristic of a good pastor is that she or he will encourage others to live lives worthy to God.   A pastor lives a good life and urges others to follow her or his example.   And so if you are not living lives pleasing to God, expect a pastor to admonish you, trying to help you do better.  So a good pastor spends long hours in preparation.   She or he lives an exemplary life, and encourages others to do the same.

When a pastor does this something extraordinary happens.   The word he preaches becomes the word of God.   Listen as Paul explains this

13 And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

This is the most important thing that pastor does.   By faithfully preaching the gospel it becomes the word of God in you when you hear it.   That is why a pastor’s preparation is so important.   Only through prayer and study can a pastor preach a faithful sermon.  But for this sermon to become the word of God for someone that person must hear it.   That is why it is so important to be in church every Sunday.  Only by coming to church can you be fed the spiritual food of the word of God.  Only in church to you grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ.   Because only in church do you hear the word of God spoken by a pastor who loves you and desires your spiritual growth.

When a qualified pastor faithfully proclaims the gospel and you hear it as the word of God something amazing happens.   The Holy Spirit come into you bringing you to faith in Jesus Christ.

14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus.

So as the Apostle Paul pastored the church in Thessalonica he saw them grow spiritually just as other churches has grown.   All Paul did was to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.   He did this through preparation, prayer and study.  He did this through living an exemplary life and encouraging others to do the same.   And through the proclamation of the gospel he watched the church grow spiritually into disciples of Jesus Christ.

I urge you, as you search for a pastor, to use these characteristic.    Ask the candidates how they prepare for preaching and teaching.   Listen for how much they value preparation and the importance they give to study and prayer.    Check out references and determine if the candidate is living a life pleasing to God.   And ask the candidate how they plan to encourage you to live lives pleasing to God as well.

God's Instrument

This pastor appreciation poem is about how God uses pastors in our lives.

I see the hands that hold God's word
And fold in prayer to seek God’s will.
I see the feet that walk the path
And offers of praise as from lofty hill.

I see the hands that serve God well,
The ears that seek to hear God’s call,
The mouth that speaks truth and wisdom,
The busy feet that carry the message to all.

I see the heart that was priked and entered
When God's man or woman answered the gospel call
And yielded his life as a humble servant,
A man or woman who is willing, as was Apostle Paul.

I see all of this as he stands in the pulpit,
An instrument through which God speaks
The words of wisdom, of love and peace,
To lead and guide all those whom God seeks.
adapted from  Judy Crowe (http://www.my-pastor.com/pastor-appreciation-poems.html)

Let’s pray.   O Lord we pray for our nominating committee that you will guide them as they seek new officers and a pastor nominating committee for our church.   Call members of this church to serve.   Give them the what they need to lead this church and find a new pastor.   And bless the pastor you have already chosen.   Prepare this pastor in his or her prayers and study.   Keep this pastor living a pious life.   And bring this pastor to us quickly.  This we pray in your son’s name.   Amen.