Sermon 1 Thessalonians 2:9-13 “Characteristics of a Pastor”
Presbyterian Church of Easton
October 25, 2020
Paul and Silas had a rough time in Thessalonica. Their preaching faced great opposition, but they continued. They wanted to be 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 a pastor does, not to please people, but to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. We will get to all this, 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)
As we get closer and closer to the election we hear many political words. The news is filled with political talk. Every day we hear the word of Trump. Every day we hear the word of Biden. Sometimes we hear from the candidates themselves. Sometimes we hear from their surrogates. Sometimes we hear from mumbling idiots. For me, all the political words are mind-numbing. So every day I take refuge in the word of God.
The Hebrew people had been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years. During that time they had grown spiritually. No longer did the grumble all the time. No longer did they fear to enter the promised land. They were ready to become God’s people. The person who guided their spiritual growth was Moses. We are told that Moses performed mighty deeds of power. He must have been filled with the Holy Spirit. We are told that Moses knew God face to face. He must have had a strong prayer life. And we are told that Moses was a great prophet. He must have proclaimed the very word of God in his preaching.
But Moses was old and just about to go to God in heaven. It was time to anoint a new pastor for this flock. So God selected Joshua. We are told that God filled Joshua with the Holy Spirit. Moses laid his hands on him. And the Hebrew people followed him. Like Moses, Joshua must have proclaimed the word of God.
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. Pastors 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 the Presbyterian Church of Easton, 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.
Jesus put in long hours in preparation. When a lawyer asked Jesus about which commandment is the greatest, Jesus demonstrated his great knowledge of scripture. He responded, from memory, by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” Then he quoted Leviticus 19:18 “Love your neighbor as yourself”. And later Jesus taught, from memory, from Psalm 110:1 The Lord says to my lord: “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” Jesus had prepared for his ministry with long hours of study of scripture.
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 do believe in change, transformation, and growth. A person’s past should not be held against them if their present is pleasing to God.
Jesus was the perfect role model. He was totally without sin. The Apostle Peter said this, in 1 Peter 2:21 leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin and no deceit was found in his mouth.” The author of Hebrews tells us, Hebrews 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every respect has been tested as we are, yet without sin.” And Paul told in 2 Corinthians 5 21 “God made him (Christ) who had no sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” So Jesus Christ sets for us a perfect example to follow.
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. If you are not living lives pleasing to God, expect the pastor to admonish you, trying to help you do better. Jesus encouraged his followers to lead blameless lives. He told them this in Matthew 5:14 “You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
When a pastor diligently prepares, lives an exemplary life, and encourages others to do the same, something extraordinary happens. The word he or she preaches becomes the word of God. According to the Protestant Reformer Heinrich Bullinger, “Wherefore when this Word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called, we believe that the very Word of God is proclaimed, and received by the faithful.”
Listen as Paul explains this.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 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 a 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 which becomes the word of God for you.
But for a 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, or watch our stream, every Sunday. Only through worship can you be fed the spiritual food of the word of God. Only in the church will you grow as a disciple of Jesus Christ. Because only in the 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 comes into you bringing you to faith in Jesus Christ. Let's go back to Paul.
14 For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God’s churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus.
Paul told the Thessalonian church to be more like the Judean churches. They are to be “in Christ Jesus.” So how would a church be “in Christ Jesus.” A church would do this by calling a pastor who diligently prepares his or her preaching and teaching. A church would do this by calling a pastor who leads an exemplary lifestyle. A church would do this by calling a pastor who encourages them to lead lives pleasing to God. And a church would do this by attending worship and Bible studies in order to hear the word of God faithfully proclaimed and experience spiritual growth in Christ.
So as the Apostle Paul pastored the church in Thessalonica he saw them grow spiritually. All Paul did was to faithfully proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. He did this through preparation, prayer, and study. He did this by 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. Let’s pray.
Heavenly Father, Bless the Presbyterian Church of Easton as it begins the process of calling a new pastor. Prepare this pastor, whom you have chosen, to serve this church. Guide this person into a life of prayer and study. Break whatever power sin has in this person's life. Help this person lead a lifestyle pleasing to you. And when this person comes to Easton, help us to follow him and listen to her sermons. Make those sermons, for us, the word of God. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment