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


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


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.


1 Timothy 3:2-7

qualified


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


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…


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


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…


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


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


1 Timothy 5:20

Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning.

forgiving penitent

by publicly


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


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?


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.


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

Lesson 52

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Transcript of Lesson 52