Hope Now Bible Church: Fresno, California

Casting All Your Anxieties on Jesus: 1st Peter 5:4-14

By Pastor Roger Feenstra

We tend to think of the New Testament as a book when in fact it is comprised primarily of letters to churches or individuals.  It is interesting how the letters in the New Testament were circulated among the churches. Today, if we want to send a letterto someone, we might compose a short text message or maybe a little  longer e-mail.  For example, many of you know that we have a church in Riverside, California that has helped support our church financially.  Grace Community Church in Riverside provided both of our church vans for us; they paid for this carpeting in our building, they installed our sound system, and every month they send us some financial support to help us continue our ministry here.  What a blessing they are to our church.  

Last week I sent the pastor, Brian Smith, an e-mail giving him an update on what is happening in our church.  I told him about our communion service; I shared with him the stories of some of the people in our church we have helped in times of crisis; and I thanked his church for their faithful support.  When Brian received the e-mail, he forwarded it to hundreds of people on their church e-mail list so that they could read it and rejoice along with him and could pray for us, here in Fresno.

Well in verse 12, the letter of First Peter was delivered and distributed in somewhat the same fashion--except rather than being e-mailed, it was hand delivered to churches by "Silvanus", (or Silas as he is called in other passages). Those churches also sent it out, to other churches, and it began to circulate all over the world, and 2,000 years later, it made its way to Fresno and you are holding it in your hands this afternoon.

And Peter gives some final words of encouragement in this letter:

verse 12:  "Stand firm" in the grace of God.

And then, in verse 13, Peter sends greetings from another church. In this case he calls the church "She who is in Babylon" and he most likely means the church in Rome -- he also mentions Mark.  Mark was the writer of the gospel of Mark and he traveled with Peter and learned about Jesus Christ more fully from him.  And finally, he asks us to "Greet one another with the kiss of love" and he imparts peace to "all of you who are in Christ."  

I think it is no mistake that he ends his letter by naming the name of Christ--

Jesus Christ, the second person of the trinity, who is himself God, came to earth as a human being--to experience everything you and I experience.  Like you, Jesus faced temptations, emotions, and loss, and yet he did not sin.  And because of that, he is able to sympathize with your weaknesses.  He knows exactly what you are going through.  He understands your temptations, your feelings, and he weeps with you in your losses.

And when Jesus died and rose again, he ascended in bodily form into heaven where he is right now, sitting next to the Father, making intercession for you when you sin and after he ascended, he sent his Holy Spirit to indwell believers and his Holy Spirit is here with us now.  

And there is coming a day when Jesus is coming back. He is going to suddenly appear as the chief Shepherd and he will ultimately take his flock of sheep, the church, out of this world.  I love Paul's passage in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 where he writes,

"For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of the archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God.  And the dead in Christ will rise first.  Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.  Therefore encourage one another with these words."

And while we are waiting for his return, Peter tells us to be subject to one another and, verse 5, 

"Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another."

Notice Peter's continuous back and forth message throughout this letter:  Suffering, submission, suffering, submission.  He knows first hand that these are two very difficult things for us to deal with in our lives. 

 

When it comes to submission, it takes great humility. The natural tendency for man is to try and exalt himself.  Humility doesn't come natural.  We all like to be recognized.  Everyone likes to see their name in print.  People like to exalt themselves or have others do it for them.  Just watch a sporting event or news program on television where there are people in the background.  What are they doing?  They're waving at the camera and acting in a manner that they would probably never act anywhere else, but because the camera has panned to them, they want to be recognized, and exalted.  

Why?  Why is that in our nature to want to exalt ourselves?  It's because, as Paul says in Ephesians 2:3 we are "By nature, children of wrath."  And part of that nature means we're proud--in the bad sense of the word.  Our natural inclination is to build ourselves up rather than Jesus Christ.  Just listen to some testimonies of Christians.  There are times when you wonder if those who are sharing ever met Christ.  His name is not even mentioned in their testimony.  It's all about I used to do that and now I do this--or maybe they'll end their testimony with an Amen! We're proud by nature, we're children of wrath.  It doesn't matter what you've accomplished in your life--Only Christ, only Christ.

No, our nature is filled with wrath and pride.  Proverbs says, "Pride comes before destruction."  Peter says in verse 5 that "God opposes the proud".  The only way we can overcome pride in our lives is to "Clothe ourselves with humility, toward each other" (vs. 5), and do it "Under the mighty hand of God." 

And when you "Clothe [yourself] with humility", God, in his timing, "at the proper time", the Scripture says, "will exalt you."  Peter instructs that rather than exalting yourself in pride, be subject to everyone and be humble -- and when you do those things, God is going to lift you up. 

We get the wrong idea about what humility is.  Some may think that it's a bad thing.  But humility is what causes you to grow as a Christian.  

1.  Humility keeps the focus off of your own suffering and turned to God.

2.  Humility allows you to trust God, rather than yourself.

3.  Humility allows you to love others, even when they are unlovable.

4.  Humility strengthens marriages.

5.  Humility allows a father to put his family before his own recreation.

6.  Humility helps you listen to your boss and do your work gladly.

7.  Humility means you are satisfied with your wages.

8.  Humility puts Jesus Christ first in your life.

But, humility can also cause suffering.  When you submit to God, suffering will follow.  Remember what Peter said in 2:21?  You have been called to suffering--because Christ was humble and he suffered.  What may happen when you are "Clothed with humility"?

1.  People may think you are weak.

2.  You may be opposed by the world.

3.  Friends and family may mock you.

4.  People you thought were your friends may try to sabotage you by spreading false rumors about you because they are feeling guilty that you are not acting like them.

5.  You may not always get your way.

6.  You might even get cheated out of something.

7.  Your boss may take advantage of you and pile more and more work on you because you are not complaining.

8.  And because of your humility and because you are a weak human being, the natural inclination may to become anxious when all of these things happen to you.

Even though we are promised that by being humble, God will exalt us, Peter recognized that it is easy to become anxious.

And so, in verse 7 he writes these wonderful and comforting words,

  "Casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you."

What anxieties do you face in your life?  What worries you? What makes you nervous or uneasy?

Is it,

• Lack of finances?
• Lack of security?
• Family troubles?
• Trouble with your children?
• Car problems?
• Housing problems?
• Illness?
• Fear of death of yourself or a loved one?
• Fear of losing your job?
• Fear that you will never meet the right soul-mate?
• Guilt over a hidden sin habit you can't seem to break?

What worries you right now?  Right where you are sitting this afternoon? Whatever it is, God says this, "Cast them all on me." Give them to him.  Can you even image what he is asking you to do?  You may not fully grasp what he is asking you to do because you tend to hold on to your problems--you try to solve them yourself. But whatever you have that makes you anxious, God is offering to take it from you.

It would be like this (if it were medically possible):  If one of my grandchildren had cancer or a terrible disease and they could reach down inside of themselves and grab it, I would tell them, "Please, do it quickly.  Grab that cancer that is eating away at you and I will take it and put it into me.  I love you, I don't want you to die."  

And that's exactly what God wants you to do with your anxieties. Whatever they are.  Take a deep breath and hand them over to him.  And because he cares for you he promises to take them from you.

You may be embarrassed to give your worries and troubles to Jesus. You think, how could I ever give these troubles to him.  I'm so messed up I don't even want to tell him my problems.  But the Bible says that God already knows your cares.  In Psalm 139:23, King David wrote, 

"Search me, O God, and know my heart!  Try me and know my thoughts."  

The Hebrew word for "thoughts" can mean "anxious thoughts" or "cares".  

How is this possible, that God knows your cares?  King David again gives us the answer in Psalm 139:13-16,

"For you formed my inward parts;

you knitted me together in my mother's womb.

I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. 

Wonderful are your works;

my soul knows it very well.

My frame was not hidden from you,

when I was being made in secret,

intricately woven in the depths of the earth. 

Your eyes saw my unformed substance;

in your book were written, every one of them,

the days that were formed for me,

when as yet there was none of them."

No, there is nothing hidden from God.  He knew you, even before you were born.  Whatever it is in your life right now that concerns you, he knows.  But because he made you with the ability to exercise free choice, he allows you to either hang on to your cares, or cast them on him.  

And so, the Holy Spirit, this morning is urging you to cast them on to Jesus.

But what hinders you from doing that?  It's your adversary--he is part of the problem.  Verse 8 says,

 

"Be sober-minded; be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world."

The devil hates you.  He is a liar and the father of all lies.  He is a murderer and his goal is to keep you from serving Jesus Christ.  He wants you to be non submissive and he wants you to suffer.  His desire is for you to keep your cares and anxieties to yourself and never turn them over to God.

He wants to feast on you--gorge himself on you--engulf, envelope, destroy, demolish, lay waste, devastate, gut, ravage, ruin, wreck, trouble, wrack, consume, overpower, overwhelm and "devour" your life.  And God has given him permission to try and do these things in order to someday separate the sheep from the goats.

Therefore, Peter says you better be sober-minded, you better be watchful.  

And sadly, the devil has some of you in his jaws right now.  Some of you are so consumed by sin that you've allowed Satan to grab you and hold you his mouth.  You're not devoured, because you're here today, but you've got some bite marks on you.  

You may ask, why does the devil attack me?  The apostle Peter gives two reasons:

1.  You're not being sober-minded.

and,

2.  You are not being watchful.

To be sober-minded means to have an unclouded mind, to be clear headed.  The opposite of that is being drunk.   The Greek word kraipalē means literally, "drunken headache."  To be sober-minded is to be the opposite of that.  You can think clearly.  You can keep your mind focused on the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do you know most crimes are committed when a person is high or drunk.  Most pregnancies outside of marriage happen when one or both of the parties are high or drunk.  And after the stupor wears off you say, "What in the world did I do last night."  You did something you would never have done had you been sober-minded... 

...And Satan rips at your spiritual flesh...

The second reason you get attacked by the devil is because you are not watchful.  Being watchful means to be alert and vigilant--You are ready for anything--you can see it coming and can avoid a potentially bad situation because you were watchful.

Are you being watchful for the things the devil will use to bring you down?  Maybe it is the movies you watch, or the music you listen to, or the friends or family members you hang around with.  

Be sober-minded, be watchful.

And if you do that, Peter says that you will be able to "Resist him." How?  By being firm in your faith.  

If you are "firm in your faith" it means that you are immovable.  Nothing can make you budge. 

How can you have firm or immovable faith?  Well, it takes work on your part.  There is no work required to obtain salvation--it is a free gift from God--Righteousness through faith. But once you are saved, and assured of heaven, Paul says to "work out your salvation" (Philippians 3:12), and James, the brother of Jesus says, "So faith by itself, if it doesn't have works, is dead." (James 2:17).

Therefore, it's imperative that in order to "Stand firm in your faith", it takes some work on your part--and that might include:

1.  Read God's Word often (Hebrews 4:12) (Get your own Bible that you can highlight and underline and write in it).

2.  Pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17) (And beginning next Tuesday evening, we are going to give you the opportunity to come and pray with us, as a church, and cry out to God.)

3.  Don't neglect going to church (Hebrews 10:24)

4.  When you sin, confess it right away (1 John 1:9)

You know, you're not alone in your problems.  Christians all over the world are facing the same kinds of suffering that you are, and probably even worse (1 Peter 5:9).

So, this letter from the Apostle Peter is instructing you and me to hang in there.  Work hard, don't give up, stand firm in your faith because the "God of all grace" (5:10), who has given you eternal life through Jesus Christ has not forgotten you.  You are not running the race alone--and while things are difficult and you suffer and "now for a little while...you have been grieved by various trials" (1:6).  You can "rejoice" (1:6), because God has a great promise for you.

God promises to do four things, and they are amazing.

1.  He is going to "Restore" you.  The Greek word used here is the same word that is used when the disciples "mended" or fixed the holes in their nets.  In the same way, Jesus Christ, will  mend you.  Do you have holes in your life right now that need mending?  Then cast your cares on to Jesus and he will restore you.

2. He is going to "Confirm" you.  The idea here is that Jesus is going to strengthen your soul.  Deep down within yourself--the depths of your soul you will be confirmed and strengthened.  When you go through those trials you will have peace, deep within your soul that the "God of all grace" keeps you safe.

3.  He is going to "Strengthen" you.  This means, if you trust him; cast your anxieties on him; trust him, he will give you the strength to keep facing what is good.  The things of earth will be tasteless to you.  The things you used to do just don't taste good anymore.  That movie you used to watch--it's tasteless.  That "High" you used to crave--it's tasteless.  The way you used to cheat to come up on some money--it's tasteless.  You have the strength of Jesus working in your life.

and finally,

4.  He promises to "Establish" you (5:10).  To be established means that your "house is built upon the rock."  In other words, when the trials come (and they will) and the storms of life and temptations threaten to you (and they will), you are established, you cannot be moved.  When the hurricane is over; your house is the one on the block that is still standing.  When the fires sweep through your life, your house is unscathed.  When the cars of life pile up in the fog of despair, you are able to avoid the carnage.

Why?  Because you have endured through the suffering.  You have disciplined yourself to submit and humble yourself under the mighty hand of God.  You have learned to forget trying to solve your problems on your own and have cast them all to Jesus.  And, you have, through the strength of Jesus Christ remained sober minded and watchful so that the devil has no influence over you.

And this is all because Jesus Christ has "dominion forever and ever."  He has all strength, all power, all might.

And...he loves you.  

But today, you know that you are not living your life for Jesus Christ.  Some of you, are caught in the jaws of Satan, who prowls around like a lion seeking to devour you, and he is ripping at your spiritual flesh.  Some of you are at the end of your rope--you have no where to turn.

Then why not turn to Jesus today--why not "Cast all of your cares, your anxieties, your sins and your burdens on him?

"Peace to all you who are in Christ."

The Role of the Pastor, Pt 1: 1 Peter 5:1-5

By Pastor Roger Feenstra

"So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the suffering of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed:  shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.  And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.  Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders."

The primary theme throughout First Peter has been how to endure suffering as a Christian.  Last week Bryce gave us a great summary of how we are to live our lives as Christians in the midst of suffering--Bryce asked us to think of the acronym S.A.D.  Don't be SAD.  Don't be Surprised by suffering, don't be Ashamed when you suffer, and don't be Discouraged.  And I believe that is the Apostle Peter's message to us all--his encouragement to us. When we suffer, because of Christ, don't be surprised, ashamed or discouraged.

Of course, those things are always easier said than done.  It easy to be taken surprise by suffering when it comes upon us, and humanly speaking it is easy to be ashamed when we suffer for Christ and, we all most likely know that at times, discouragement can come upon us like a Tsunami.

And so, we all need encouragement to not be SAD.  We need encouragement from other believers.  God never intended for you to walk the Christian life alone.  The Bible says that we are all like sheep.  And like sheep, we need shepherds to help guide us through difficult times in our lives, to teach us patience, and to pray for us. 

Because God loves us, he knew that we would need help to walk through this life of suffering and despair.  

Chapter 5, verse 1 begins with Peter exhorting the elders. (To exhort means to strongly encourage someone to do something.)  

The word elder is used interchangeably in the New Testament with the words overseer, bishop, and shepherd.  An elder is a person who meets specific requirements to lead a church.  And in the New Testament, elders were appointed, initially by the Apostles.  As the church grew, God instructed the Apostles to appoint pastors or shepherds in every city. The Apostle Paul wrote, in his letter to Titus, "Appoint elders in every town as I directed you."  

In our 1st Peter passage Peter tells the elders to "shepherd the flock of God that is  among you." (5:2).  The Latin word for shepherd is pastor, so from the Latin we derive the name pastor for someone who is an overseer, a bishop, an elder.  Therefore, in most Christian churches (including the catholic church), it is appropriate to call the one who leads a particular church, a pastor.

In light of that, when Peter exhorts the elders to "shepherd the flock of God", he is speaking to pastors.  And so, a pastor is like shepherd; A pastor's role is to feed, guide, and protect the flock of God.  This is the mandate from God, this is what pastors do.  Pastors are not called to the culture.  They are not called to revolutionize the neighborhood. They are not called to change the city.  Although those things might be the outcome of a pastor's work--The culture might change, neighborhoods might be revolutionized and cities might change.  But the primary calling of a pastor is to "shepherd the flock of God."  And that is why the warning is given in Hebrews 13:17 that pastors will be held accountable for how they shepherd the sheep.  Hebrews 13:17 says,

"Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account..."

So, it is of vital importance that the pastor not only shepherd the flock of God, but that the church know and understand the role of their shepherd and their role as sheep.  How does a man become a pastor? Let's look at three ways that a man becomes a shepherd. 

First,

1.  A Pastor is Called by God: 

The very first qualification for a pastor is that he is called.  The apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3:1 said,

"The saying is trustworthy:  If anyone aspires to the office of overseer [pastor], he desires a noble task."

The word "aspire" means to set one's heart on. When you set your heart on something, it is your passion.  That's what the word aspire means--you direct your hopes and ambitions to do something.  And that's how you know if God is calling you to something, you have a desire, an ambition, a passion to do it. 

From a very early age, I can remember aspiring to do certain things in my life.  I specifically remember three things, although there are certainly others.  

First, I always wanted to be married.  When I was a young boy, I knew that one day I would find a wife, get married, have kids and live my life with that one woman.  Little did I know that I would meet her when I was in fourth grade.  But I aspired to be married, because I knew it was one of the most important commitments that I could make before God.  My passion in life was to get married, I aspired to it.  So, in 1975, at the age of 20, Carol and I were married and we have honored our commitment to God for nearly 35 years.

When I was in elementary school, I aspired to attend Biola College.  Biola College (Now Biola University) is a Christian university in So. Cal.  Somehow I knew about the school and I knew that I was going to attend there.  I wanted to learn more about Christ--I had a passion for knowledge of the Savior as a child.  So, my mom had someone from the college come to our house and talk to me about the school.  I think the guy was a little surprised when he got to our house and found out that I was only in 4th grade.  Nevertheless, his visit gave me an even greater passion and desire to attend there.  So, after high school, I first enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard for four years and then, I started attending Biola College.

The third thing I remember aspiring to, was to be a pastor.  I had a passion to serve Christ and honor him.  Throughout the years Carol and I have moved to various cities because of my job.  The first thing we always did was find a church.  And some of those churches we attended, where we were there for several years, I was an elder.  The churches where I wasn't an elder, Carol and I taught Sunday School and we were involved in ministry in other ways.  But I had a passion for serving Christ--never perfect, but always striving to be more Christlike as I have grown as a Christian over the years.  

And because I was in tune with God's Word over the years, the passion that I had for various things in my life, the things that have molded me--I heard God's call and have tried to obey Jesus Christ and exalt him. 

I'm not talking about positive thinking. I'm not one of those people who thinks that you can do anything you set your mind to. Because the fact is, no matter how often people may tell you you can, you can't always do something just because you set your mind to it. For example, I don't think my wife Carol, even though she likes football, could ever have been a linebacker in the NFL.  Setting your mind to something doesn't mean you can do it.  No, I'm talking about God calling you for a specific purpose in order to glorify him.  How can God use you in your life?  What do you aspire to spiritually?

Many men leave the ministry because they don't have a passion for the ministry. Many pastors struggle with preaching and teaching because they don't have a passion for it.  They haven't "aspired" to be a pastor.  And those pastors shouldn't be shepherds--God is most likely calling them to something else.  Why do they do it then?  Well sometimes it's because someone told them that they should do it. Maybe his father and grandfather were pastors and people just assumed that the son and grandson would follow in their footsteps. Or maybe he is a good speaker and has a lot of charisma.  Those might all be indicators of the call of God, but a pastor must first have the desire or the passion--and God calls him to that ministry. 

And let me tell you something, that is the kind of pastor you want--someone who is called by God.  He doesn't do it for money, or prestige, or power.  He is called
 by God, and because of that he is shepherding you, protecting you and praying for you.

So, the man must aspire to be a pastor and he must be called by God.

Second,

2.  A Pastor Has a Gift From God:

In the letter to the Ephesians (4:7-12) Paul said, 

"But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ's gift.  Therefore it says, When he ascended on high he led a host of captives, and he gave gifts to men....And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of the ministry, for building up the body of Christ." 

God has gifted people in the church with different abilities to do his work.  Everyone in this room, including me as a pastor, has some type of gift that God wants to use to build up the church.  And because it is God's will for you to have a spiritual gift he makes that gift more and more evident to you.  Knowing God's spiritual gift for you takes some work on your part--

How does a pastor know, and how do you know, what spiritual gift you have?  Paul tells us in Romans 12:1,2.  

"I appeal to you therefore brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect."  

How do you identify God's spiritual gift that he wants to impart to you?  Three ways:

I.  Be holy

I could define for you what it means to be holy, but it is probably better to let God's Word tells you what it means to be holy.  Look with me at one key passage that will help your understanding.

    a.  1 Thessalonians 4:3: 

"For this is the will of God, your sanctification (or holiness) that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles (or non-believers) who do not know God, that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness.  Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you."

Over and over again we read in the New Testament that sexual immorality cancels out holiness.  You cannot be sexually immoral and holy at the same time. It is impossible.  And in order to hear God's call in your life and know his gift that he wants to impart to you, you must be holy.  

The New Testament alone talks about the problem of sexual immorality in 15 of the 27 books. Sexual immorality was a problem then and it continues to be a problem, even in the church today. In today's world it is not difficult to caught up in sexual immorality.  And let me tell you something, it will continue to get more difficult.  
That's why you are to put your focus continually on Christ.  Some of you have pornography at home on DVD's or on your phones or computers.  Some of you are involved in sexual relationships outside of marriage.  Some of you listen to music with sexually explicit lyrics.  Sexual immorality--God can never use you to your full potential until you confess your sin to him and get rid of those and other things in your life. Be holy. 

A Pastor has a gift from God and God wants to impart a spiritual gift to you too, but first your life must be holy. And if you're not living a life of holiness, then confess the sin you are participating in and stop doing it.  When you confess it before the Lord, he immediately forgives you, but don't play games with God--if you confess it, then stop it.  Second, the verse in Romans said,

II.  Be not conformed to the world

Are you caught up in conformity with the world?  What are you like at work?  Are you a "meddler", a "busybody" as Bryce talked about last week?  Are you always worried that other people are getting a better deal than you?  Did it ever occur to you that maybe God did not want you to have that same deal?  Maybe God has called you to suffer for some reason--to mold you and to shape you more into his image? Don't conform by meddling in other people's business, even if it does effect you.

When you are at work with non-believers would anyone be able to tell you apart?  Not because you've got John 3:16 tattooed on your forehead or because you're being judgmental or thinking you're better than your non-Christian co-worker, but would they be able to tell you apart because you are not conforming to the world's standards?  Do you listen to the same music as everyone else?  Do you watch the same movies?  Do you talk the same way as non-believers? Do you tell the same jokes?  If so, you've conformed to the world and God tells you "Be not conformed to the world." 

But it's so easy to conform?  It is so easy to get caught up in the world and just go along with it.  How can I not help it?  That's the third way to know God's gift in your life, by transforming your mind.

  

III.  Be transformed by the renewal of your mind.

By thinking on the things of God, by allowing Jesus to saturate your mind.  God transforms your mind when you think on him.  When you come to church and can worship him in spirit and in truth  How is it possible to worship God purely on Sunday?  How can you be assured that God will speak to you on Sunday and that you'll leave stronger than when you came in to church?

It partly begins with what do you do on Saturday nights?  Do you watch R rated movies, stay up late, and not even think about Christ?  A good way to begin the transformation process is on Saturday night, so that when you come to church on Sunday your mind is focused on Christ and prepared to worship him and receive his word.

And that's how you begin to know your spiritual gift--you have to first be right with God, transformed, and he begins to work in your life--and as he does, he imparts spiritual gifts to you; serving, teaching, hospitality, generosity, leadership, administration, wisdom, knowledge, faith, and many more.  And each gift is used to build up the body of believers.

Therefore, in light of this, a man becomes a pastor by aspiring to be one--being called by God and gifted by God.  But there is a third way in order for a man to become a pastor, and that is, he must meet several requirements.

3.  A Pastor Must Meet Several Requirements:

There are several requirements that must be met in order for a man to qualify as a pastor.  And likewise, a pastor can be disqualified by failing to meet even one of these requirements.  

It's important to note that these requirements are not indicators of perfection.  No pastor is perfect.  All pastors are human, and at times, they may let you down.  Because pastors are men, they may even stumble at some point in their ministry.  James, the brother of Jesus said this about teachers (and I think pastors fit into this verse) in James 3:1:

"Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.  For we all stumble..."  

Notice that James doesn't say, "Stumble an fall."  Everyone stumbles, but a pastor cannot continually stumble to the point of falling.  James goes on to say in 3:11:

"Does a spring spout forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?  Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs?  Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water."

No, a pastor must consistently follow Christ and not fall into sin.

There are three essential passages that detail the requirements for a man to become a pastor.

Time prohibits me from going into each requirement in detail this afternoon, so let me list them, with just a few comments.

1.  1 Timothy 3:1-7:

a.  Above reproach

The Greek word used here is a wrestling term.  It refers to a wrestler who is not able to be taken down because he is firmly placed and able to defend himself well.  So when Paul uses the words "above reproach" he is saying that a pastor should not be able to be brought down because of ungodly actions.

b.  Husband of one wife

I think this means, one wife to the exclusion of all others.  A pastor is to be the husband of one wife--it carries with it the sense that his wife should be first and foremost in his life--to the exclusion of all others.  A pastor never has to be sexually immoral because his wife meets his needs and their relationship is strong.

c.  Sober-minded

Paul is using a word that means "clear minded" or "not having a mind shrouded by alcohol".  He is not to be under the influence of it, or any other drug.

d.  Self-controlled

Here the apostle Paul is saying that a pastor must have sound judgment.  In other words, he is to be sensible, not filled with silliness or childlike.

e.  Respectable

This means a pastor is to be well behaved.  Or, literally, have a well ordered life.  His life is not filled with chaos.

f.  Hospitable

Paul says a pastor is to love strangers and when new people come into the church, they are to be welcomed.  The word also carries the idea of being generous.

g.  Able to teach

Since shepherding involves guiding the sheep, a pastor must be able to teach.  

h.  Not a drunkard

This means exactly what it says.  A pastor is not to sit around and get drunk.  The actual Greek word that Paul used refers to a person who gets drunk and then turns quarrelsome. Which leads to the next requirement that a pastor be, 

i.  Not violent

Simply put, a pastor is not to be ready to punch someone out.  He's not looking for a fight.  Rather, he is to be,

j.  Gentle

This means primarily that he is fair-minded.  Not jumping up and down insisting on his rights.

k.  Not quarrelsome

Again, he is disinclined to fight.  Is not always looking for an argument. 

l.  Not a lover of money

He's not out to make a quick buck in a dishonorable way.  He uses money as a means to glorify God and enhance his ministry.

m.  Manages his household well

This means, financially, emotionally, spiritually and physically.  The idea here is that a pastor presides over the management of his household.  He's not the King of his home, rather he is the manager.  This means that he is diligent in making sure his family is well taken care of.

n.  Children are submissive

His children obey him.  When he tells his children they are not to do something, they obey.  They listen to their father, not out of fear, but out of love and respect.

o.  Not a recent convert

The term elder doesn't just mean an older person.  Rather a pastor is to be grounded in the Lord and must not be a new Christian.  

He might become conceited or literally, blinded with conceit.

And finally, a pastor is to be,

p.  Well thought of by outsiders

He has a reputation for doing good even among those who don't attend church.

2.  Titus 1:5-9

a.  Above reproach (Says this twice)

b.  Husband of one wife

c.  Children must be believers and well behaved (If he has any children)

d.  Not arrogant

Or, not self-willed.  Not just trying to please himself only.

e.  Not quick tempered

Quick tempered here means revengeful or wanting to get even.

f.   Not a drunkard

g.  Not violent

h.  Not greedy

i.   Hospitable

j.   Lover of good

Loves what is good.

k.  Self-controlled

l.  Upright

He conforms to God's will.

m.  Holy

In the sense Paul uses the word holy here, he means, a pastor is to be free from all crimes--in other words, he obeys the law, doesn't cheat on his taxes, he fulfills his obligations.

n.   Disciplined

Has self control over his actions.

o.  Holds firm to the word of God

Takes the opposite position of the world and even in the midst of pressure to turn from God's Word, he holds on to it and doesn't let go.

p.  able to give instruction in sound doctrine

q.  able to rebuke those who contradict sound doctrine

Not only can he teach, but he can prove the false teacher wrong. 

3.  1 Peter 5:1-5

And the third essential passage is in our 1st Peter passage and we'll look at those qualifications and warnings for pastors next week.  

So, that is the picture of a pastor or a shepherd.  But Peter wants to make something very clear to his readers.

And that is, as the pastors shepherd the flock of God, there is Another who Shepherds the shepherds and that is the chief Shepherd (1st Peter 5:4). 

I think this is such an important statement that Peter makes, for it tells us what Jesus Christ's role is in the church.  And don't think that Peter just stuck that sentence here by accident.  No, he was giving us all a reminder that there is someone greater than us in charge.

Therefore, if the role of the pastor is to shepherd the flock of God, what is the role  of the chief Shepherd?  What is the role of Jesus Christ in our church?

1.  Jesus  Christ is the great Shepherd (Hebrews 13:20)

2.  Jesus Christ is the Shepherd and Overseer of our Souls (1 Peter 2:25).

3.  Jesus Christ is the good Shepherd who lays down his life for you (John 10: 11).

4.  Jesus Christ is the good Shepherd who knows you (John 10: 14)

5.  Jesus Christ is the door who saves you (John 10:9)

It is clear that God has appointed pastors to shepherd his church and to protect the flock.  Pastors "keep watch over the souls of the flock", but the chief Shepherd is the Savior of the souls of the flock.  

 

So, those are the qualifications and requirements for a pastor.  And next week we will look at three warnings that Peter gives to pastors--They're important and the flock of God must be aware of those warnings also so that they might be careful they are not following a false shepherd.

In closing today I want to say this again.  God did not intend for you to live your Christian life alone.  He didn't leave you wandering in the wilderness.  No, he provided shepherds to feed you and protect you.

The Bible says that we are all like sheep.  We all go astray.  Each of us turn to his own ways.  And like sheep, we need shepherds to help guide us through difficult times in our lives, to teach us patience, and to pray for us.