The God-Qualified Pastor, p.2

Read your Bible's list go to first Timothy chapter 3 as we continue on beautifying the bride her fashion and her function. First Timothy is a pastoral epistle, Paul is writing to this young understudy. I consider him the pastor of the church in Ephesus a month say that's exactly what he was, but he certainly functioning like that anyways overseeing the work there in Ephesus. He's getting some things in order so Paul is telling Timothy Timothy. Here's how the local church to be structured and here's how she is the function that doesn't cover all aspects, but many, many of them and were talking now about God, called pastors, and today he will continue with God. Qualified pastors first Timothy chapter 3, we continue with part two of the God qualified pastor look at it there with me. First Timothy chapter 3 verse two and overseer then must be above reproach, the husband of one wife to print prudent respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine are pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money, you must be one who manages his own household well keeping his children under control with all dignity, but if a man does not know how to manage his own household.

How we take care of the church of God and not a new convert so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil, and he must have a good reputation with those outside the church so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil, Union theological seminary is located in New York City. It began in 1836 by the Presbyterian in its beginning it was a solid Bible believing Christ honoring glory of God. Focus place where preachers could be trained for gospel ministry, but then it began to quickly its descent into radical liberalism, but affected the Iran 1893 or so. The leaders in the seminary, believe that we've got to branch out beyond the confines of historic Presbyterian doctrine and we gotta be open to new thought this was about the time that the German higher textual criticism crept into American universities and theological places of training and professors begin to esteem themselves qualified to look at the Bible the way they would study all ancient literature with a be home or are Shakespeare or whoever just dissected take it apart see what's real see what's not real see what's true and see what's not true. So in effect, men began in America probably the early part of the 19th midpoint of the 19th century to to study the Bible as if it was no different than any other book of antiquity set themselves up as the authority over the Bible instead of studying under it with the Bible over them is their authority.

So the first thing that begin to happen at Union theological seminary was the questioning of the verbal inspiration of the Bible that is that every word the very words are inspired by God and put their by God.

The folks listen to me, that's where it always starts. That's where it always begins is the Bible really the word of God. I guess you have to call up the delete professors of Union theological seminary.

Let them tell us the course not. Today, Union theological seminary calls itself quote a leading center of liberal Christianity.

Well, I think the Scripture would define Union theological seminary as a leading center of the spirit of the antichrist. Everything ungodly, seemingly is embraced and proposed there on September 17.

This last Tuesday. They held a chapel service there at the seminary entitled our confession to plants. They brought all of these plants into the chapel like they had some corn maybe some okra and some peas, some different plants out of all their and the instruction was that working all come in here and contemplate and repent and apologize to the plan can't make this up, this is exactly what they did in social media to explain the chapel service that day. You wonder why I thought so hard about sound doctrine and holding to the truth is this is where it gets you.

If you don't, here's what they said on social media today in chapel we confess to plants together, we held our grief, joy and regret whole guilt and sorrow in prayer offering them to the beings who sustained us but whose gift we too often fail to honor so they turn their hearts to the creation instead of the create tour, who is blessed forever. The apostle Paul in Romans chapter 1 says that's exactly what happens to men who've been turned over to reprobate minds. They worship the creation instead of the create tour and you think about this and I say this all throughout our culture today. There's goodness and repentance. There's goodness and gratitude.

This goodness and showing up appreciation but the other the world we live in the satanically controlled world takes those good sentiments and twist them and warps them in perverts them. So instead of praising God and thanking God and repenting before God that we are not grateful for all of his gifts as we all to be laboring mistaken plants in their that's not very fair to plants to be plugged up.

Put in pots anyway. Dragged inside the seminary and I sit in front of the plants and express repentance and gratitude.

What I warping twisted sense of a good sentiment are good desire to repent and show gratitude, but I submit to you this morning there something far more serious than this and that is the constant effort of the enemy to warping twist the qualifications for gospel ministry, Satan gets far more done by congregations who choose man to fill their pulpits because they have been natural propensities to be a public leader, our speaker, but not the godly biblical qualifications for they look for the natural skills he's a good preacher if he has the gift of persuasion VS the right talents the right people skills.

If these naturally when some you could go on and on. That's just naturally where we go is a visit well with the people that certainly God called God qualified men will have some of these in varying degrees, but biblically these are not important. If you like great importance on those you have a warped and twisted understanding of what a true God called God qualified man looks like. In fact, first Corinthians chapter 2 verses one through five. Again, lays down the real powerful foundation of understanding about this. Paul writes to the elitist, cultured, Corinthians who were used to great oratory's and me with great skills of persuasion in their speech, and he says this can be a brother and I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God brought to term to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified, is a first of all, I could've told you a lot more but I came with a simple message because I didn't want you to mix me up with the flower flowery exquisite gifted orators of your day on a simple clear methodology to get it in us, Jesus Christ and him crucified. Verse three I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, far from being strong and powerful and in charge I and a lot of persecution in warfare and an end trouble when I got to you. I was a mess, physically speaking and emotionally speak so I wouldn't very appealing naturally speaking to you. Verse four.

And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom that's with the Corinthians were props always powerfully persuasive in his words, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, verse five, so that your faith will not rest on the wisdom of men but on God. Paul said I didn't try to be the kind of spokesman that you esteem so highly in your Corinthian culture that men in your culture would naturally have flocked to and the women would've naturally swooned over was at that concrete truck.

I just preached a simple message but with the Corinthians.

Emphasize persuasion.

Paul emphasizes power. My message has changed your heart. The power of God accompanied it. That's the proof of my ministry so all the natural gifts that congregations often say that's what were looking for me can make it happen Mannys he's charismatic and East deputy exits, vocabulary face, a winsome and warm and all the people 11th and edited out and I may be okay but that's the best secondary. So let's take a look at what the Scripture says about the biblically qualified man of God. Now this is part two. So we've already seen part of this. I'll skim through quickly. First of all, he has to be blameless are above reproach in his moral character, meaning nothing sticks to him there's no pattern of sinfulness where if you accused him and has any real or lasting credibility. Then he gives those areas where he needs to be morally blameless are above reproach. They must be sexually pure must have a long-standing reputation as a one woman man no questions about it.

Secondly, he's not to be excessive. The word here is temperate, it means he's in.

He's balanced and what he does.

Thirdly, he is self disciplined the word in our text is prudent. He has discipline about his lifestyle. East he's not a man whose life is cluttered with numbers of unfinished tasks goes for something to gets it done. He's well organize the word here is respectable.

FPs given the hospitality we talked about how there was a serious need in this day where Christians were persecuted and often evangelist or preachers were traveling. They had no place to stay off and they had no clue that no clothes on their back.

The pastor should lead in being gracious to brothers and sisters who have special needs. Then of course able to teach and as I look at this.

I think under able to teach this might be the only one that really implies a special spiritual gift is that ability to take the word of God and teach it the people and apply the truths of Scripture whether it's in a private setting or whether he's a public herald or are preacher like myself. Now we come to new material GNR outline and as we get down in the first three not addicting not addicted rather to what I call this not a drinker he's not a drinker, not addicted to one of this is the second time he's dealt with the use of alcoholic beverages under temperance. He mentioned before. So we see there that hear that even in a culture where some alcoholic content may be necessary so that they can have something cleaned during because their water often was impure because of the climate and the staleness of the water sources, but even in those settings. The Bible has a lot to say about stay away from intoxicant. So this refers to one's reputation. Not that he's not a drunkard that's dealt with. Really, under temperance the week so that earlier, it means he's not a guy who's found in association with drinkers. He's not a man who is at home with the cocktail crowd. He's not a man that's known to hang out at the happy hour or little bit further down south in muscle Shoals. He's not a good old boys like to drink a beer or two with the guys and watch the ballgame. That's not who the man of God� I remember when I first started out in ministry. It was absolutely holy unheard-of that a Baptist minister would drink alcoholic beverages, but some of the more prominent ministers. I was around had learned to chew tobacco, and they pretty much felt like if I chew tobacco with a godly kinda makes me one of the gods, makes me like the best use of the wind is the meta-Gospels to be one of the guys misplace at do you personally may not be worthy of a lot of respect with the office hold is worthy of great respect the man of God is not one of the gods and I would exhort preachers out there stop the silly nonsense of trying to be like one of God's were not talking about chewing tobacco your nephew preaching you chew tobacco not beating you up what I might have a little bit but I don't mean to.

My point is a small, the heart attitude on that point. We tried to prove. But this this thing of social drinking I and I would never have believed 40 years ago when I started in the ministry that they would be bad just our bed to stick churches who would actually embrace and promote the use of alcohol as a part of their fellowship and their liberties in Jesus Christ.

When the Bible here twice under the qualification for elder forbids such unbelievable to me.

I fly the banner of liberty. In Christ we have liberties that sounds good and that sounds spiritual and it is right by our major batter is not liberty are major banner we fly is love and out of love for my brethren benefit we got people in our church right now who struggled with the misuse of alcohol, drunkenness, and they been around some of those churches who who proclaim their liberty and have drinking parties and I submit it destroys us.

It's horrible to be in that we were trying to find our way back out of the stuff.

The point is out of love. I would never touch things that are optional and calls a brother to stumble. Now back to the point of our text, the man of God should not have a pattern of reputation that he hangs with the social drinking crowd. Let him say this.. H.

He's not a fighter. The Texas here not only not addicted to wine or tug Ignatius. In other words, this is a man who's learned not to settle his disputes with his theist.

He shouldn't be known in the congregation that don't get him upset, and not just whip you like. I like to hang out with guys like that sometimes but the point is an elder's going to get a lot of stuff thrown at him.

The price is going to be misunderstood.

They're going to be folks with evil intentions, he will twist his words will take what he says on the context and use it against them, and I can be so frustrating. So discouraging. Sometimes you want to rise with anger. He has to be known. Maybe not perfectly, but as a long pattern of his life. He doesn't resort to anger the grace of God gives him the strength to say what timeout I'm backing off from that I'm not going there. Second Timothy 224 says the Lord's bondservant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach patient when wrong in our outline easily pardons human failures. This is the word gentle nudge addicted one or pugnacious, but gentle. This is the idea that he makes rooms for others. He is forbearing toward others. He is gracious in his spirit when others fail. He's got to have cultivated the capacity to remember the good and forget the evil God knows immature shirts.

You as the pastor going to see a lot of things that are wrong and you gotta realize this problem here may have been despicable at one time the God granted him repentance and over time, he's a different man you don't worry about his past. The more you loving you for giving pastor has to have that capacity not to remember wrongs committed against Lord, are committed against him.

He's not a recordkeeper of wrongdoings that people have committed against him. I sometimes when I'm teaching pastor's kid with him and so you ought to have to pastor at least 30 years in one place so you get to live with your fruit. Too often, God makes a mess that he runs off and the next guy comes in and he gets blamed for the maps you say somewhere like I have 38+ years going on 39 years I got no excuse. You are what you will your mom this that figure speech you do answer to God for your own sins.

But you know what I mean. But you know what I've also found I could look right around this room and to 1� or another. This room is half filled with people who 1� or another.

Used to be my enemy you'd like me you didn't appreciate me you didn't like the way a priest and let Mike what my convictions and I do it because actually on your face when I preached and you know so maybe you now you love me, you honor Mr. pastor and I love you and I'll be honest. And I mean this before God. I just don't have a record of what happened in the past. It just doesn't matter just doesn't matter, but that's the pilgrimage of the man of God.

He's got to be even do that. So yesterday, easily pardons, human failures, and I said to you over and over and over again if a person is called in SCN if there's a brother or sister in the congregation who needs to repent of his sin in their life.

What if I told you a thousand times always and only always and only you confront them privately with utmost confidentiality you not spread that to anyone and $0.95 on the repent at that level. Nobody else needs to know about my here to splash our brothers or sisters. Weaknesses or failures in front of everybody. Amen. Now, should they continue in a hardened unrepentant spirit there will come a time when they would be exposed and removed.

That's always the last step we come to them with utmost confidentiality utmost kindness and compassion, urging them with tears to repent. That's the way of churches in the pastor has to be that kind of J in our outline, not quarrelsome, not quarrelsome course this this ties in very close with the others. The word peaceable is the word in our text in verse three it means he doesn't call cause unnecessary quarrels and disputes, and division is been my observation through the years that in Baptist churches. Usually it's there's only deacons they typically don't have elders, but there deacons function as if there elders because they have a ruling authority role, which is un-biblical. But that's just the way it is in most Baptist churches and often some contentious quarrelsome man with American irreconcilable spirit will find his way on the deacon board, and the people finally put in there simply to shut them up.

He came into the church wanting power and control and they finally give it to keep them from causing trouble in the church that is 100% opposite of what you want to do your causing trouble in your troublemaker look if there issues in the church that clearly violate Scripture and of of a serious and scandalous level. Let the elders know we want to deal with anything less than that.

You just need to get over it and keep the peace in the body of Christ. We got an army of people that we been through all that kind of stuff here years ago we been through enough of it. I think God for the army of men and women if something begins to percolate out there little bit. I just put a lid on it. Say we don't do that here we don't we don't have parties and factions and divisions here with things that don't matter and were not will start doing it. The pastor certainly shouldn't be the kind of guy you try to spin things up, get one group against another group K in our outline, not covetous. That's the next phrase here in verse three sets of the last phrase first three free from the love of money, I didn't say he's free from money. It did not say he's free from having much money, but he's free from the heart conditioning of loving money that is that having material possessions is way toward the top of his heart and of his priorities benefit. First Timothy six 6010 is a great cross reference here.

First Timothy six 6010 Paul writes later in this epistle, but godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment. We have brought nothing into the world so we cannot take anything out of it either. If we have food and covering which would include a roof over your head with these we shall be content, but those who want to get written notice the wording here.

It's not that they got rich is that they wanted it is the idea of it was way too high on their priority list.

It became the driving force. The idolatry in their heart and in their life, so getting rich is not CN but living to get rich is sin. Those who want to get rich fall into temptation. Notice the domino effect here temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. Here's the point when a man who lives his life with a high priority of money, money, money, possessions, position, position, wealth. Wealth. Wealth that I'll compromise a lot of things if I get the money and the power and control there but there comes a domino effect into his life that will lead to the ruin and to destruction, not the fact that he had a lot of money. The fact that it was a high idle in his life. Verse 10 for the love of money, not money, but the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil and some by logging fort have wandered away. The in the faith and pierced themselves with many a pain many sorrows. Follow that in the in backup verse nine he talks about this plunges me and it literally has the idea of drowning, it will drown you and ruin and destruction, not covetous.

The man of God. Nothing wrong with the man of God saying I'd like to have nice things and enjoy a nice thing by the way I like nice things and I like to enjoy nice things but if it means I must compromise God's ministry to gain them. I don't want to do that and there will be times unless you get the following a very very sound church in a very sample but if your guy I've made of God, you have many listen to me many times when you have to decide by Monday Gaza go walk out on me if I don't compromise here so I got decide what's about what to whom I can worship God or money. We had a lot of what we had a lot of money guys walk all out on us here in the early years.

I don't mean they're all evil people they used and like me, but you know what God did, he raised up some more money guys who love the Lord love the church and love me. So I proved to stay long enough, God just fix it all. We we've had a lot of young men come through here who believe God was calling them in the ministry. We had a young man one time and everything just seemed to come out to a financial advantage. She's always spinning things. The financial advantages he always seemed to be connecting himself with people who were very well-off and one day I told him when here very long and one dousing and I told him if you want to cite some insight right now. You will be a man of God are so-and-so's boy you go to be a man of God are Mr. so-and-so's boy. I'd rather not get commentator with. He's a man of God, but he still Mr. so-and-so's boy that is a disqualification for the office of pastor in the church. So Paul summarizes it this way, the blameless moral character of a man in the pastorate. He should have a long-standing pattern sexual purity not given the excess self disciplined, well-organized, hospitable, skilled in teaching, not quarrelsome, not a drinker, not a fighter want to easily pardon human failure and not covetousness. I submit to you on this day very humbly on distillery Pinter and a learner. But I do believe by God's grace I would just speak for me but for all elders. There is not an outstanding pattern of this in our men's lives. If there is I believe everyone of them would say that I'm willing to step down. Now let's close with this thought the never ending battle against false teachers and false teaching. The never ending battle against false teachers voltage because what's the point here you've got to have men who are God called and God qualified as teachers and leaders in the church because they got to be good men and faithful men and not gullible, not not able to be tempted or drawn away because there's a never ending batter to battle rather to maintain purity of doctrine and practice in the local church. For example in Ephesus where Timothy is just gleaning through what Paul says in this letter the things Timothy was having to correct and address.

First of all, the first Timothy chapter 1 we have false doctrine and non-edifying teaching. We have issues with the false use of exaggerated use of Jewish law women who tried to rule over men in the church.

Chapter 2 chapter 4 legalistic doctrines sneaking into the teaching of the church.

Chapter 5. Some leaders did have patterns of unrepented of sin and they needed to be reviewed before all chapter 5. Some leaders had impure motives that's revealing chapter 60 lots of it. Emphasis here on cleaning up false teaching in the false living among those in the church, having true, pure, godly leaders of it is of extreme importance because the church will seldom rise above her pastors now not only the false leaders in Ephesus, but think about the false leaders in Israel and we can only pick out a few verses here over and over and over and over again. You name the prophet what does he do he goes to Israel or he goes even to Judah and he calls them draped in of embracing false doctrine and listening to and tolerating false teachers.

For example, in Jeremiah chapter 2 verse eight.

The priest said where's the Lord and they that had of the law knew me not. The rulers also transgressed against me and the prophets prophesied by bail and they walked after things that do not profit just a whole list of Walton even gross violations of sound doctrine and soundtrack the think that that at the prophets of Israel would prophesy according to bail or dispel represent Bill represents the culture of the day Bill represents the that that the contemporary cultural amusements and entertainments of the day that the people are longing for and the prophets cater to the people and brought that into worship is that of being faithful to God. Jeremiah 530 and 31 an appalling and horrible thing is committed in the land. The prophets prophesy falsely that's first so their preaching had false doctrine.

Number two, and the priest bear rule by their main's the priest decide here's how to work according to God's word.

We do what's best to make it work the way that people go to enjoy it.

Prophets prophesy falsely, the priest rule by their own means number three and my people love to have it so so you see how many people are coming to see how popular this is his workingman 3000 years, nothing changed.

Same thing. I hear all the time. Among these gargantuan large congregations in the things they're doing to keep the crowds coming within number four number one prophets prophesy falsely numb to the priest bear rule by their own means. Number three. My people seem to love it. Number four what would you do in the end there's coming a payday. Someday what are you going to in the in some of you sit there and you say preacher, it would be a little more fun if you loosen up your lid would be little more exciting.

We bring in will this bring you know that no other churches that we have had to lose our Dr. that's always the first thing I safe departing are doctored to bring in some of the amusement entertainments of the world is so clambering after they will keep our doctrine here for him every single time getting a little time and the amusements in the entertainments of the world get more and more important in the preaching of sound doctrine gets less and less important. It's very subtle and is very slow network go before long they're promoting booze as a means to get people to come church, among other things. Jeremiah 1021 Jeremiah said the shepherds are become stupid. I like that language is a stupid or just like that, but the Bible says the stupid I'm not going other Jeremiah said, the prophets of the shepherd rather become stupid and have not sought the look is the stupidest thing in the world that you say you're gonna build the house of God outside of God's teaching and God's blessing. What a foolish blasphemous day you'll build something, but it will be God's house trial, but it will be a church, you have a congregation but will not be an assembly of the righteous God's sheep or drawn, only to see food that's my job to dispense seafood. Therefore, they shall not prosper. This is the ultimate end of it, and their flock shall be scattered.

Jesus rebuked false teachers and false teaching and today he called them hypocrites. He said you make your converts twofold children of hell that your yourself. You talk about 1/2 be done with the meek and mild Jesus Jesus that you cut your converts are twice as much. The child of hell is you are. He was a man's man straight, honest, publicly rebuking you know what you know what you know why the church clamors after little mealy mouth soft Casper milquetoast, preachers they will get by after seeing that only by strong pamper me in my compromise preacher I love you too much. I love you too much to love the Lord will decent you make your converts twofold the child of hell that you are yourself. This is your blind guide your whitewash that flickers your servant, your vipers and you said you will not escape the damnation of hell.

Paul in Galatians chapter 1 pronounce a severe curse on anyone who preached a false gospel anathema. He said Peter describe false teachers as spots and blemishes. He calls them wells without water dogs that returned their own vomit styles that return the wallet in the Meyer after being washed. James warns against serious retribution among unfaithful teachers.

James 31 John calls false teachers the antichrist or of the spirit of the antichrist.

So what I'm pointing out to you is there is great difficult on ending warring work at hand for the man called to the pastorate so the last thing he needs is to have weak character patterns of weak character, so that people can point at him and say I'm not listening to you because of blank so there's got to be qualifications for him to hold the office of pastor enclosing. I don't know where I found this Buddha pastor who is character was unqualified or pastor who, like so many, they are willfully false, and the doctrines they propose and in the methods they employ in their ministries. They are like stained glass windows.

A religious symbol that keeps out the true light. That's why the initial and overall qualification for spiritual leadership in the church, not skill, not natural gifts, not when some this not oratory character. Character God qualified pastor could I beseech you church family to do this for me and God knows I'd rather suffer anything good in my ministry dishonoring my Lord and hurting his church.

I'm asking you to continue to pray for your preaching pastor and for all of your pastors, God keep him save him from himself. No let him wonder in his latter years. I've asked God to let me be effective for him and molded to have and asking let me have a good retirement. I hope I'll have one law that your responsibility but if that didn't happen. That didn't happen. I'm not asked for certain amounts of health or anything like that but I have asked God, would you let me be effective for you and my old age with second just get me in one area of disqualification I can be effective, but trust me, I got repenting to do already. You understand preacher repents a lot a six preparing I'm not perfect but I think by God's grace our elders qualify for a will maintain to the end. Not cannot challenge you.

The challenge I gave you earlier. How are you measuring these are just passed up of these are Christian qualifications, how you doing are you pugnacious are you temperate you given to anger. Are you drinker what are you doing that might be of blocks on your reputation for Christ. Let's all rededicate our hearts be effective for the Lord.

I just left Brazil brother Kevin Miller has aligned his ministry in our ministry we got. We have men from four Portuguese speaking countries key leaders that were trending down there and then many others. But Alice here from Scotland. His father ministry for many years, we connect with him the impact that part of the world got brother here from Northwest Tennessee decision.

Could y'all help me impact were all on and on and on. And here's my point.

We got to be real so that we can be really used both here and everywhere for the glory of God