The Role and Duties of Pastors - Part 2

TIME in the Word - Daily Devotional
Together for Inspiration, Motivation, and Encouragement

Verse of the Day - 1 Peter 5:2-3
Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock;

Daily Scripture Reading - Hebrews 13

Puritan Catechism
Question #11 - What are God's works of providence?
Answer - God's works of providence are his most holy (Ps. 145:17), wise, (Isa. 28:29) and powerful (Heb. 1:3), preserving and governing all his creatures, and all their actions (Ps. 103:19; Matt. 10:29).

Devotional Thoughts

The Role and Duties of Pastors - Part 2
An Examination of the Scriptural Duties for Pastors

Having looked at the qualifications for one who would be called and appointed by God to serve the church as an elder, now we will move on to take a brief look, a snapshot really, of what the Bible has to say about the duties of a pastor. What is the job description for a pastor?

1. Shepherd the Flock - 1 Peter 5:1-3

a. Exercise oversight willingly
b. Without abusing power
c. Never for dishonest gain
d. With eagerness
e. Leading by example, not by domination

2. Equip the Saints - Eph. 4:12-16

a. For the work of the ministry
b. For the edification of the Body
c. To be unified in faith and knowledge of the Son of God
d. To be mature and like Christ
e. To be certain of what they believe
f. To speak the Truth in love
g. To work together in growth and edification in love

3. Charge (command, instruct) the Saints - 1 Tim. 1:3-4; 6:17; 2 Tim. 2:14

a. To teach sound doctrine
b. To refuse lies that cause disputes
c. Not to be haughty if they are rich
d. Not to trust in riches but in the Living God
e. Not to strive about words to no profit

4. Teach - 1 Tim. 2:7; 4:6, 11; 6:2; 2 Tim. 4:2

a. Faith in Jesus
b. Truth
c. Sound doctrine
d. Contentment
e. Honorable living
f. With longsuffering while convincing, rebuking, and exhorting

5. Reject - 1 Tim. 4:7; 2 Tim. 2:16; Titus 3:10

a. Fables
b. Profane and idle babblings
c. A divisive man after one or two warnings (church discipline)

6. Exercise godliness - 1 Tim 4:7, 10, 12-16; Titus 2:15; 2 Tim. 1:6

a. Labor and suffer reproach if necessary
b. Let no one despise your youthful age
c. Be an example to the believers
d. Give attention to reading, exhortation, and doctrine
e. Do not neglect your spiritual gift(s)
f. Meditate on God's Word, giving yourself to it completely
g. Have evidence of your spiritual progress
h. Take heed to yourself and your doctrine
i. Continue in truth

7. Exhort - 1 Tim. 5:1-3; Titus 1:9

a. Others
b. And convict (convince) with sound doctrine those who contradict truth

8. Rebuke - 1 Tim.5:20; Titus 1:10-13

a. Sinners in the presence of all
b. By stopping the mouths of insubordinate, idle talkers
c. Sharply those not sound in the faith

9. Keep - 1 Tim. 5:22; 1 Tim. 6:14; 2 Tim. 1:14

a. Yourself pure
b. The commandments
c. The Word that has been committed to you

10. Pursue - 1 Tim. 6:11; 2 Tim. 2:22

a. Righteousness
b. Godliness
c. Faith
d. Love
e. Patience
f. Gentleness
g. Peace

11. Remind - 2 Tim. 2:14; Titus 3:1

a. Of the gospel
b. To be obedient

12. Be - 2 Tim. 2:1, 24; 2 Tim. 4:2, 5

a. Strong in grace
b. Gentle
c. Able to teach
d. Always ready
e. Watchful in all things

13. Do not - 2 Tim. 1:8; 2:24

a. Be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord
b. Quarrel

14. Speak - Titus 2:1, 11-14, 15

a. Things proper for sound doctrine
b. These things
c. Exhortations, rebuking with all authority

15. Withdraw, avoid, flee, and turn away from - 1 Tim. 6:3-5, 11, 20; 2 Tim. 2:22-23; 3:5, 9

a. False Teachers
b. Greed and evil
c. Profane and idle babblings, contradictions
d. Youthful lusts
e. Foolish and ignorant disputes
f. Evil-doers (according to 2 Tim. 3:1-5)
g. Foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, strivings about the Law

16. Hold Fast and Lay Hold - 2 Tim. 1:13; 1 Tim. 6:12

a. The pattern of sound words
b. Eternal life

17. Minister the Word - 1 Tim. 5:21; 2 Tim. 2:2, 25; 3:14; 4:2, 5

a. Observe God's Word without prejudice or partiality
b. Commit the Word to faithful men who can teach others
c. Correct those in opposition
d. Continue in the Word
e. Preach the Word, being instant in and out of season
f. Do the work of an evangelist
g. Fulfill your ministry and calling

18. Prove yourself a good worker - 1 Tim. 1:18; 6:12, 20; 2 Tim. 2:3, 15; 4:5

a. Wage a good warfare
b. Fight a good fight
c. Guard what is committed to your trust
d. Endure hardship and affliction
e. Be diligent
f. Rightly handle the Word of God

19. In the Church - James 5:14; 1 Tim. 2:1-2; 4:14; 5:3; 2 Tim. 1:8; Titus 1:5; Acts 15:22

a. Pray for all men, especially the sick
b. Ordain and appoint other leaders (elders, teachers)
c. Honor widows
d. Share in the sufferings of the gospel
e. Set in order things that are lacking
f. Set church policy

What then is the responsibility of the Conrgegation to the elders? I am glad you asked!

Scriptural Responsibility
of the Congregation to their Pastors
Hebrews 13:7

1. Obey them, remembering and following their faith - Heb 13:7
2. Be submissive to them - Heb 13:17
3. Recognize him and his authority, esteeming him highly in love, maintaining peace in the Body - 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13
4. Count him worthy of double honor, remember that he is worthy of his wages and to be supported by the ministry; do not receive an accusation against him unless it is made by two or three witnesses - 1 Tim. 5:17-19 (see also Matt. 10:10; Luke 10:7; 1 Cor. 9:9-14)

Puritan Voices
We are reading a small portion each day from a sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon titled The First Christmas Carol from Luke 2:14.

IV. Now, I have one more lesson for you, and I have done. That lesson is PRECEPTIVE. I wish everybody that keeps Christmas this year, would keep it as the angels kept it. There are many persons who, when they talk about keeping Christmas, mean by that the cutting of the bands of their religion for one day in the year, as if Christ were the Lord of misrule, as if the birth of Christ should be celebrated like the orgies of Bacchus. There are some very religious people, that on Christmas would never forget to go to church in the morning; they believe Christmas to be nearly as holy as Sunday, for they reverence the tradition of the elders. Yet their way of spending the rest of the day is very remarkable; for if they see their way straight up stairs to their bed at night, it must be by accident. They would not consider they had kept Christmas in a proper manner, if they did not verge on gluttony and drunkenness. They are many who think Christmas cannot possibly be kept, except there be a great shout of merriment and mirth in the house, and added to that the boisterousness of sin. Now, my brethren, although we, as successors of the Puritans, will not keep the day in any religious sense whatever, attaching nothing more to it than to any other day: believing that every day may be a Christmas for ought we know, and wishing to make every day Christmas, if we can, yet we must try to set an example to others how to behave on that day; and especially since the angels gave glory to God: let us do the same.

Once more the angels said, "Peace to men:" let us labor if we can to make peace next Christmas day. Now, old gentleman, you won't take your son in: he has offended you. Fetch him at Christmas. "Peace on earth;" you know: that is a Christmas Carol. Make peace in your family.

Now, brother, you have made a vow that you will never speak to your brother again. Go after him and say, "Oh, my dear fellow, let not this day's sun go down upon our wrath." Fetch him in, and give him your hand. Now, Mr. Tradesman, you have an opponent in trade, and you have said some very hard words about him lately. If you do not make the matter up today, or tomorrow, or as soon as you can, yet do it on that day. That is the way to keep Christmas, peace on earth and glory to God. And oh, if thou hast anything on thy conscience, anything that prevents thy having peace of mind, keep thy Christmas in thy chamber, praying to God to give thee peace; for it is peace on earth, mind, peace in thyself, peace with thyself, peace with thy fellow men, peace with thy God. And do not think thou hast well celebrated that day till thou canst say,

"O God,
'With the world, myself, and thee
I ere I sleep at peace will be. "

And when the Lord Jesus has become your peace, remember, there is another thing, good will towards men. Do not try to keep Christmas without keeping good will towards men. You are a gentleman, and have servants. Well, try and set their chimneys on fire with a large piece of good, substantial beef for them. If you are men of wealth, you have poor in your neighborhood. Find something wherewith to clothe the naked, and feed the hungry, and make glad the mourner. Remember, it is good will towards men. Try, if you can, to show them good will at this special season; and if you will do that, the poor will say with me, that indeed they wish there were six Christmases in the year.

Let each one of us go from this place determined, that if we are angry all the year round, this next week shall be an exception; that if we have snarled at everybody last year, this Christmas time we will strive to be kindly affectionate to others; and if we have lived all this year at enmity with God, I pray that by his Spirit he may this week give us peace with him; and then, indeed, my brother, it will be the merriest Christmas we ever had in all our lives. You are going home to your father and mother, young men; many of you are going from your shops to your homes. You remember what I preached on last Christmas time. Go home to thy friends, and tell them what the Lord hath done for thy soul, and that will make a blessed round of stories at the Christmas fire. If you will each of you tell your parents how the Lord met with you in the house of prayer; how, when you left home, you were a gay, wild blade, but have now come back to love your mother's God, and read your father's Bible. Oh, what a happy Christmas that will make! What more shall I say? May God give you peace with yourselves; may he give you good will towards all your friends, your enemies, and your neighbors; and may he give you grace to give glory to God in the highest. I will say no more, except at the close of this sermon to wish every one of you, when the day shall come, the happiest Christmas you ever had in your lives.

"Now with angels round the throne,
Cherubim and seraphim,
And the church, which still is one,
Let us swell the solemn hymn;
Glory to the great I AM!
Glory to the Victim Lamb.
Blessing, honour, glory, might,
And dominion infinite,
To the Father of our Lord,
To the Spirit and the Word;
As it was all worlds before,
Is, and shall be evermore."

Bible Reading For Further Study
A Word of Warning for Unfaithful Pastors!

• Jeremiah 10:21; 23:1-4; 50:6
  
• Ezekiel 34:1-12
  
• Zechariah 10"2-3; 11:17

Recommended Songs for Worship

• Hymn 585 - Brethren, We Have Met to Worship
  
• Hymn 279 - Faith of Our Fathers