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Date:   09/12/2010

Text:   1 Timothy 5:17-25

Title:   Pastor and I

Theme: Since the church is God's household, therefore there are high expectations for her leaders.

 

Introduction:

  From time to time different pastors would share with me their ministry experiences. A pastor's wife said that Her sister in Canada would occasionally send her some really nice jackets and coats. However, she would not dare to wear them in the church, for this may affect her husband's salary.

  This is from a pastor who served in a church in the Appalachians . One thanksgiving, the church gave his family a turkey and ham. He was very touched with this kind gesture during the holiday season. Come December, when he got his pay check he noticed the amount was less than the previous months. He asked and the treasurer explained, “we deduct the cost of the turkey and ham we gave you last month.” If I didn't hear it myself, I would think it was some kind of joke circulating on the internet. In many churches, subconsciously we still have this attitude, “Lord, you keep him humble and we'll keep him poor.”

  Not too many pastors like to preach in their respective churches on the text we read today. If they do, the congregation may say, “He is complaining about his salary.” Now, if a guest speaker preaches on this text, some may say, “our pastor must have asked him to preach on this text or topic.” It's a no win situation.

In 1 st Timothy, we learned that Paul wrote to Timothy to say that the church is God's household, so Timothy and the believers needed to know how to conduct themselves in the church. In the last few months, we learned how we are to worship, to pray and to treat different people in the church. Today's passage is about how to treat the pastors.

Some of us may ask, what has this to do with me. This should be the elders and deacons' responsibility. This topic matters to you because first, this letter is meant to be read to all the believers, not just to a certain group in the church. Secondly, one day, some of you will be serving as deacons and elders. At that time, you will be playing a very important role in the treatment of pastors, be it here or in another church.

  It is with this spirit that we come before God's word. We are to let God's word direct and dictate how to conduct ourselves in his household, especially in our relationship with the pastors.

I •  Pastors are to be cared for.

Vs.17,18, “ 17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, "“The laborer deserves his wages ” In the New Testament, an elder and pastor are the same. Many Bible scholars take this passage as a reference to full time elders or pastors. There is another similar verse in Galatians 6:6, “ 6 One who is taught the word must share all good things with the one who teaches.” These two passages tell us that we are to care for the pastors among us.

What does it mean to treat them with double honor? In John Stott's words, it is generally accepted as respect and remuneration, or honor and an honorarium. Paul is instructing the believers at the Ephesian church to honor and to give their leaders adequate remuneration or honorarium. The reason is given in vs.18. The first part of vs.18 is from Deut 25:4. The second part; “the worker deserves his wages” are words of Jesus. Paul is saying that pastors are to be cared for through proper respect and to be paid what he deserves.

  1.   Let's first take a look at respect or honor or respect. I remember a godly sister who once said, “I don't want to criticize the pastor for he is God's servant.” Apparently she respected the pastor, but in reality, there was fear. How dare I criticize someone whom God has called. This is not a healthy attitude.

To respect means not to belittle the person but relate to him politely. Respect also includes listening and accepting the person for who he/she is and not trying to change him or her into your ideal minister.

Having said this, also a word to myself and those in full time ministry. Yes, on the one hand we are respected because of our ministry and position. However, on the other, we must, through diligent and faithful work, do our work well, to authenticate this respect. We are to show and prove to the congregation that we deserve such respect.

  2.   Then there is the matter of remuneration, or in today's words, salary. The scriptures instruct us that the pastors are to be paid for their service. There is really no set standard on this. Some have suggested that the pastor's salary should be the average of the congregation's salary. Pastors are not to live above or below the congregation's living standard. The point here is that he needs to be paid adequately.

I learned that in some churches in China , the pastor is paid only about 300 RMB, that is about $40 to 50. I feel sad about this. If the church does not have the financial resources to do so, it is certainly understandable. But in many of those churches, the average income is at least 5 times more than what they pay their pastors. For this reason, I know one pastor who set up a foundation with the sole purpose of assisting those pastors in need. He would also go to those churches to teach them the proper way of treating the pastors.

I am very thankful that I preach on this passage not because of personal need, but because of the responsibility to preach the whole counsel of God. I am also very thankful that in my former church, every year during the church's budget time, one elder would come and ask me about my financial situation. Do I see any special family needs in the coming year that the board needs to take into consideration in budgeting. I also think of an incident when a brother said to me, “I was in the book store the other day and I thought about you. Since I know you like books, so I got this for you.” These situations touched me and I felt cared for.

It is good to remember that as we become members of this community, it is our responsibility to make sure the pastors among us are respected and paid adequately. It is the church's responsibility to take care of their pastors so that they can concentrate on their ministry.

II •  Pastors are to be held accountable.

Vs. 19-21, “ 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. ” Yes, pastors are to be respected. But what if the pastor sins? What if someone says, “I saw pastor Hsueh……” Do you go about telling everyone, or tell another pastor? The general principle we find here is that there needs to be two or three eyewitnesses. This is to protect the minister from malicious rumors. Rumors can ruin a person and his ministry. For this reason, both in the Old and New Testament, strict guidelines are set to protect a person's reputation and integrity. If there is any accusation, there must be two or three witnesses. It is clear here that without the two or three witnesses, don't even entertain the accusation.

What if the pastor refused to repent? In vs.20, we read that he is to be rebuked before the congregation. Paul also instructed Timothy when such a rebuke is carried out, to make sure it is fair. Don't be partial on this.

On the one hand pastors are to be respected and honored. On the other hand, when pastors sin, the sin has to be pointed out. This certainly requires courage and fairness. As we look around us, so often we see that the congregation or the church leaders fail or refuse to confront or discipline their ministers. Then they leave the church for another church and repeat the same offense, hurting the sheep under their care. This is sad. When a minister erred, the church, the leaders and the congregation need to have the courage and fairness to point out the sin and to exercise proper discipline. Why? Because the church is God's family, the house of the holy God. It is a place where sins are to be properly dealt with.

III •  Pastors are to be chosen with great discernment.

Let's first take a look at vs.23, “ (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) ” Bible students are often confounded by this verse. Why would Paul put this rather personal instruction in the midst of a serious passage? I don't think anyone has come up with a totally satisfactory solution. So we just take this as one of Paul's digression in his writing. Even as he is concerned about the church's spiritual health, he also has Timothy's physical health in mind. Maybe, the church condition had affected Timothy's health. We don't know what Timothy's health problem was. We only know that he was told to drink some wine. In those days, drunkenness is widespread. In several of Paul's writings, he instructed the Christians to stay clear of drunkenness. Timothy may be reacting to the social situation and took the abstinence stand. Paul cared for Timothy, and suggested that drinking some wine could be beneficial for his health.

Vs. 22, “ not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. ” This is about choosing and appointing a leader, the pastor. Paul tells Timothy, don't rush into it. If this person later turns out to be the wrong one, then Timothy would be responsible for it. Vs.24, 25 give the reason for not rushing into it, “ 24 The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden. ” Some sins are obvious but other sins take time to show up. When we see obvious sins in a person's life, we'll refrain from choosing that person as a pastor. But there are sins that take time to surface. Therefore be very careful and discerning when you appoint someone as your pastor.

I have heard this from different churches. “When we first interviewed him, he was everything we wanted. Now, 1 or 2 years later, he seems to have become a different person.” What happened? Could it be that during those short visits, we only saw the good and positive? Could we have only focused on the person's ability and skills, neglecting the person's character?

This applies not only to pastors but to leaders at all levels of the church. In 1 st Timothy, when Timothy writes about elders' and deacons' qualification, we notice, with the exception of elders having the ability to teach that it is all about a person's character. We tend to do things just the opposite. We are attracted by the person's oral communication skills so we say he is dynamic, and we are easily impressed by the person's people skill. When we focus on the skills and abilities, we may have neglected the character issue. We have seen pastors with great gifts and skills fall into sins ultimately. It is the character that matters.

Conclusion:

  As I was preparing for this sermon during the last two weeks, two things came to my mind. First, it was the first time in my 28 years of ministry that I have preached through the book of 1 st Timothy. Secondly, it was the first time I preached on this passage in the church I am serving. And thirdly, when I setup the preaching schedule late last year and early this year, I had no idea that preaching this passage will fall on the Sunday after I shared with you my retirement intention. Personally, I am awed at how God directs things in life. Proverbs 21:1, “ 1 The king's heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord; he turns it wherever he will.”

  As you know HCC is in the process of seeking two pastors. And soon will begin the process of seeking another one. It is my prayer and desire that we approach this matter carefully and with great discernment. And when in God's timing He brings them to us, the church is to take proper care of them by respecting and providing them with adequate salaries. The church is to protect the present and future pastors and to courageously confronting and disciplining when they sin.




http://archive.hcchome.org/

English Service:

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Cantonese Service:

2014 |2013 |2012 |2011 |2010 |2009 |2008 |2007
2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999

2014|2013|2012|2011|2010|2009|2008 |2007
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Cantonese audio translation available up to 2011

2014 |2013 |2012 |2011

 


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