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Lesson 52
Lesson 52
What does God teach us about
pastors?
What kind of person can serve as a pastor in a congregation?
Ephesians 4:11It was he who gave some to be apostles,
some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors
and teachers…
God’s idea
What kind of person can serve as a pastor in a congregation?
1 Peter 5:2Be shepherds of God’s
flock that is under your care, serving as
overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God
wants you to be; not greedy for money, but
eager to serve…shepherd
Pastor means
What kind of person can serve as a pastor in a congregation?
1 Timothy 3:2-7
1 Timothy 3:2-7
Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to
drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family
well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the
devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into
the devil’s trap.
What kind of person can serve as a pastor in a congregation?
1 Timothy 3:2-7
qualified
What kind of person can serve as a pastor in a congregation?
1 Timothy 2:12-13I do not permit a
woman to teach or to have authority over a man; she
must be silent. For Adam was formed
first, then Eve.a qualified
man
What kind of person can serve as a pastor in a congregation?
Acts 20:28Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has
made you overseers. Be shepherds of the
church of God, which he bought
with his own blood. called by the Holy Spirit…
What kind of person can serve as a pastor in a congregation?
Acts 14:23Paul and Barnabas
appointed elders [footnote: ordained elders / had elders
elected] for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, committed
them to the Lord, in whom they had put their
trust.…through a
congregation
Key Point #1
A man who is qualified and called can serve as a
congregation’s shepherd.
At a wedding reception, a woman compliments the pastor
who conducted the service. “You are truly a holy man,” she
says as she shakes his hand. How should the pastor respond?
Agree or Disagree?
If God wants you to be a pastor or teacher, he will give you
some special sign before you get to high school. Give a reason for
your answer.
The pastor serves a
congregation by…
What does God want a pastor to do publicly in a congregation?
1 Timothy 4:13
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading
of Scripture, to preaching and to
teaching.by preaching and teaching God’s Word
What does God want a pastor to do publicly in a congregation?
Matthew 28:19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit… by baptizing and…
What does God want a pastor to do publicly in a congregation?
1 Corinthians 14:33,40
For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…
everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way. …giving
communion
What does God want a pastor to do publicly in a congregation?
Isaiah 40:1-2Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim
to her that her hard service has been
completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from
the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.
forgiving penitent
by publicly
What does God want a pastor to do publicly in a congregation?
1 Timothy 5:20
Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.
forgiving penitent
by publicly
What does God want a pastor to do publicly in a congregation?
1 Corinthians 5:4-5,13When you are assembled in the name of our Lord Jesus and I am with you in spirit, and the power of our Lord Jesus is present, hand this man over to Satan, so that the sinful nature may be destroyed and his spirit saved on the day of the
Lord. God will judge those outside. Expel the wicked
man from among you.
forgiving penitent
not forgiving impenitent
by publicly
What does God want a pastor to do publicly in a congregation?
2 Corinthians 2:6-8,10The punishment inflicted on
him by the majority is sufficient for him. Now
instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by
excessive sorrow. I urge you, therefore, to reaffirm your love for him. If you forgive anyone, I also forgive him.
And what I have forgiven—if there was anything to forgive—I have forgiven in the sight
of Christ for your sake…
forgiving penitent
not forgiving impenitent
welcoming back penitent
by publicly
Key Point #2
God wants a pastor to preach and teach his Word publicly and to administer the sacraments and
the keys.
What’s wrong here?
A pastor’s job is to run the congregation like the CEO of a
company.
Sometimes people say it’s not right to excommunicate others because in Matthew 7:1, Jesus says, “Do not judge, or you too
will be judged.” How would you respond?
What’s wrong here?
Once a person is excommunicated, that person can never come back to the former congregation again.
Why is this correct?
Technically, congregations don’t expel people from the
congregation; people expel themselves.
What if…• a person who is about to be
excommunicated quits the congregation first?
• a person who has been excommunicated claims that the congregation’s action wasn’t fair?
• a pastor tries to excommunicate some people to get his own way in the congregation?
Is it wrong to call a pastor “Father So-and-So”? Why or why not? Is it wrong to call a
pastor “Reverend So-and-So”? Why or why not?
Search the hymnal…
• Which hymn in the “Confession and Absolution” section summarizes the ministry of the keys?
• Where can you find other hymns about the public ministry?
• Of those, which is your favorite? Why?
“Everyone is a minister.”
• What’s correct about that statement?
• What’s wrong with that statement?
• Give examples of public ministers besides pastors.
What’s wrong here?
The main reason we have pastors is that it just wouldn’t work if everyone was up front preaching and teaching and no one was in the pews listening.
Lesson 52
God wants a man to serve a congregation as its pastor by publicly
preaching and administering the sacraments and the keys.
Vocabulary…
“Pastor”
shepherd
Vocabulary…
“Minister”
servant
Vocabulary…
“Ministry”
service
Vocabulary…
“Divine Call”
the call that believers extend to someone to
serve them
