Pastor Appreciation Month: Day #15

Pastor Appreciation Month: Day #15

October is Pastor Appreciation Month.
Take time today to express to your pastor how much he means to you.

The Pastor’s Most Powerful Weapon (I Timothy 3:15)
I Timothy 3:15, “But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.”

I was taught many years ago the importance of guarding my testimony. I remembered and wrote much from what was taught to me regarding this fact. Here are two.
1.How we behave and what we believe are both equally important.
2.What we really believe will affect how we behave.

The theme of First Timothy is found in I Timothy 3:15, “…that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God…”
After salvation, God desires all to go on to maturity, and to prove this:
1. He gave the Comforter to teach us (John 16:13; I John 2:27).
2. He gave the Church to train us (Ephesians 4:11-12).

I Timothy 4:13-16, “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hands of the presbytery. Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all. Take heed unto thyself, and unto the doctrine; continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.”

A. He must be Educated in the Book (I Timothy 4:13-15b)
Notice the different steps:
1. Reading (I Timothy 4:13)
2. Reasoning or Rehashing, Meditate (I Timothy 4:15) - cow chewing her cud.
3. Research, Study (II Timothy 2:15)

B. He must be Engaged in the Battle (I Timothy 4:13-14)
1. In Encouraging, Exhortation (I Timothy 4:13)
2. In Education, Doctrine (I Timothy 4:13)
3. In Expounding, Preaching (I Timothy 4:14)

C. He must be Exemplary in his Behavior (I Timothy 4:15c-16)
1. His Deportment, Take heed unto thyself (I Timothy 4:16)
2. His Doctrine, and unto the doctrine (I Timothy 4:16)
3. His Doing (I Timothy 4:16), for in doing this thou shalt both save thyself, and them that hear thee.

When you lose your testimony, you loose:
1. The Trust of others
2. Your Effectiveness in God’s work
3. Your Salting power
4. The Touch of God upon your life
5. Your Influence with both saint and sinners
6. The Most of all that you have ever accomplished
7. The Opportunity to be used in God’s service
8. Your Neighbors and lost loved ones to hell
9. The Years that you spent building your testimony

As people of God, we need to know how to conduct ourselves. Our motivation for gathering together is that we may learn how to live differently as members of His family. The problem with many Christians is that they are not living out God’s purpose for their lives. As a result, they don’t live straight. The job of the church is to bring people into configuration with God’s character. Paul was a man of God who had a great desire to see the people of God doing the will of God. It is God’s plan that the church is to learn the will of God and the Word of God from the man of God. He has entrusted the care of his flock to God-called pastors to shepherd and lead them in the will of God and in the ways of God. The pastor is over the flock, and he is to love the people of God and seek to lovingly lead the people of God to accomplish the will of God for the glory of God. It is the will of God for His people to live a peaceable and productive life. We must work alongside of and with one another to accomplish the will of God and honor the Lord Jesus in this world. Only through the Spirit of God can we understand the word of God, do the will of God, accomplish the work of God, properly engage in the worship of God, and display the wisdom of God. Timothy was to stay focused on the will of God, stay faithful to the Word of God, and be fruitful in the work of God. There is power in a sold out, surrendered, and Spirit-filled man of God.

Points to Ponder:
We can, and should have, influence for God and good in this world.
The Lord Jesus has given us all that we need for life and godliness and we must seek to serve Him with all of our hearts.
We are exhorted to and encouraged to work out our faith, stand firm for the faith, and diligently share our faith!

Questions to Consider:
Are we being a godly influence in this world?
Is our life and witness bringing others to the Lord or driving them from the Lord?
Is your life helping others or hurting others?

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