Your Precious Gift
Foundational Text: Eph 4:8, 11 Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Have you ever thought about just exactly what makes a ¡§precious gift¡¨ precious? Meaning of great value, or to be held in great esteem? If we were to go around the room this morning, we could come up with a few things, not to be an exhaustive list, but a list all the same.
„« One of the things that determines the great value, or holding a gift in great esteem would be who is giving it to you. Example: Ladies, what if a total stranger were to give you an engagement ring. Would that gift be held in high esteem? Would there be great value placed upon that gift? In light of all the implications attached to such a ring, a wise Proverbs 31 woman would refuse such a gift from a total stranger. However, you place that same ring back into its box. Now, instead of a total stranger purchasing that ring, the absolute love of her life. A man who is the complete answer to her prayers unto God. Someone who she has courted, fallen deeply in love with, and she knows beyond a shadow of a doubt, loves her in return. They have shared their most intimate thoughts, visions and desires, even to the point of seriously discussing marriage, and spending the rest of her life with this Godly man. This same-boxed ring is purchased by him, and given to her as a covenant token of promise. Will that gift have greater value? Will that gift be held in higher esteem?
„« I must know what the gift is, and how it functions to be able to hold in high esteem. In order to put high value upon something, I must know what it is and how to use it. Example: What if you were to go into a foreign, third world nation, and find a tribe of people who were living in jungle like conditions. They did not possess clothing, do not even understand even the concept of electricity, having never seen anything electrical. Still very primitive in their culture. The item that they view as being ¡§modern¡¨ is fire. You then give to the chief of this tribe of natives an IBM state of the art lap-top computer with satellite internet capabilities, CD and DVD burner, top of the line, most expensive computer on the market. Will that be held in high esteem? Will there be great value placed upon such a gift given? What if you were to give that same lap-top to a small business owner, who is still working with a computer with windows 95, doesn¡¦t even have CD capabilities, much less a burner, and no modem so no hope of internet service, even dial-up. Would such a gift given be held in high esteem? Would there be a higher value placed upon such a gift?
„« Another item that may determine the great value, or the holding of a gift in great esteem could be the need the person has for the gift that is given. Example: Guys, someone gets you the absolute best motorcycle helmet. This helmet has the absolute best test results to consumer digest. It is the top of the line, name brand racing helmet. It just happens to be your favorite color, and it fits your big melon head snug as a bug in a rug. I mean when you put that helmet on you are one with that helmet. The most expensive helmet that there is on the market today! However, you do not own a motorcycle.
„« Finally, an item that could determine the great value, or the high esteem of the gift would be the authenticity of the gift. Which simply put, is this gift genuine? Example: Ladies, if you were given a ring that looked like real gold, and real diamonds within the setting of the ring. Only to find out that within the first day of wearing the ring, your finger turns green and you break the stone, while washing dishes, into a million pieces. Question: Do you rent safety deposit boxes for your custom jewelry, or your authentic, or genuine jewelry? Why? You place a higher value, you hold the real in high esteem. ¡§If someone breaks into my house, they can have the custom jewelry, but to get the real, they gotta break into First National Bank.¡¨
I want to show you this evening just how precious a gift of the pastoral office is to you. Keeping in mind just these four, of many reasons, for a precious gift. So we will endeavor to teach concerning the pastoral office. You will have faith, or beliefs instilled to receive all that this gift provides for you, and then draw from it.
I. Who Gave This Gift?
A. In using the Bible as our standard, the Word of God tells us that Jesus Christ Himself gave the gift of a pastor to you.
¡§Wherefore he saith, When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive, and gave gifts unto men. And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;¡¨
1. Who ascended up on high? Who captured captivity? Paul has already told the Ephesian church who ascended on high. Eph 1:19-21 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power, (20) Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places, (21) Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: So, scripture tells us that the person who is the topic of discussion here is Jesus, which tells us Jesus gave these gifts unto men.
2. The Bible tells us in another passage that God put these gifts in place. 1Co 12:28 And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
B. We said that one of the standards in which to see a gift as being precious is determined by the giver of a gift.
1. Because God gave them by His Son Jesus Christ, the pastor should be to you a precious gift.
2. Question: How many of you place value upon eternal life. Not going to hell. Would you say that¡¦s a good gift? How about the Holy Ghost? Good gift? What makes this preciousness? God given? So is the Pastoral office.
II. What is a Pastor
A. If I am to see my pastor as a precious gift from Jesus, I must know what one is, and how they function.
1. The word ¡§pastor¡¨ is used only once in the King James translation, and that is found in our foundational text of Eph. 4:11.
2. The Greek word for Pastor literally means, ¡§shepherd¡¨. It is so translated in referring to our Lord and Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the Great Example of a true pastor or shepherd.
a. Joh 10:11 I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.
b. Heb 13:20 Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,
c. 1Pe 2:25 For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls.
d. 1Pe 5:4 And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away.
3. Jesus is the Great Shepherd, the Chief Shepherd, of all God¡¦s sheep. However, what Jesus has given to the body of Christ are undershepherds. A pastor is an undershepherd! A Pastor is a shepherd of God¡¦s sheep in the local body. He is called of God, and equipped of God to shepherd, or pastor a flock.
B. The Pastor has oversight of the flock.
1. Jesus is the Great Shepherd. He is the Head, the Overseer, of the whole Church ¡V the Body of Christ. The pastor is the undershepherd. He is the head, or the overseer of the local flock or group. The local body is head up in the pastor. The head governs. Therefore, the governing ability of the local body heads up in the pastoral or shepherd¡¦s office.
2. As you look in the gifts mentioned in I. Cor. 12:28, the pastor is not mentioned by name, but by job description, as ¡§governments¡¨.
3. Is it scriptural for deacon boards, or boards of elders to run the local church?
a. In the early days of the Church, in its babyhood stage of development, the assemblies were put in the charge of local elders until ministry gifts could develop. The Greek word for elder simply means an older person. These elders were older people, fitted to a place of position and responsibility. The only ministry gifts that the Church had in place at this time were the twelve Apostles of the Lamb. A novice could not be set in as a pastor of shepherd of the flock. 1Ti 3:6 Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil.
b. So, until some of those newly saved converts were called into the ministry by God and had developed into pastors ¡V and this takes time- older men with more maturity, both mentally, and in character, were put in charge of the flock. Example: Of my call, and return unto the Lord.
c. We are not in the infancy stage of development any longer. Ministry Gifts have already been developed in the Church. Churches have gotten into error by saying, ¡§We want a New Testament church, so let¡¦s go back to the Acts of the Apostles, and have elders run, preach, oversee the flock.¡¨
d. Such ¡§man appointed¡¨ elders have no call of God upon them. They know nothing of the pastoral office, nor the supernatural empowering of the Gifts of the Spirit which accompany this office of a pastor.
e. Originally the term ¡§elder¡¨ had special reference to age, maturity, and standing. Then as the ministry gifts developed in the early Church, the more official title of ¡§overseer¡¨ or ¡§bishop¡¨ was used, which referred to those who were called and anointed by God to stand in the pastoral office. Scriptural reference:
Act 20:28 Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
1Ti 3:1 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work.
4. The picture used in the Bible for the pastoral office is that of a shepherd and a flock. The shepherd is the leader of the flock. The shepherd doesn¡¦t get up in the morning and say, ¡§We¡¦d better get some of the chief sheep together and get their opinion as to where we¡¦ll graze today.¡¨ No, the shepherd has the oversight of the sheep. He is the overseer of the flock. He heads out, and the flock follows him. This means that the vision, or the direction of the local church will come through the pastoral office, it will come through the pastor, not the sheep. A pastor will not look to the sheep for vision, but the sheep to the pastor. By definition overseer is one who supervises, or directs. Example of middle management.
III. Why Do I Need a Pastor
A. The third reason we determined as seeing a gift precious is understanding my need of the gift. You will never be able to hold the pastoral office in high esteem until you see you need of it.
1. Shepherds are necessary for maturing and equipping the saints.
Eph 4:12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
2. Train at every stage of development, teach how to feed yourself.
Heb 5:12-13 For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. (13) For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe.
3. The pastors first responsibility to the church is to feed the flock.
a. Remember what Jesus told Peter? Feed my sheep! Notice Jesus still calls you His sheep? You do not belong to the undershepherd, but to the Great Shepherd. However, the undershepherds have been given the task of feeding His sheep.
b. Question: Would you trust anyone to feed your baby? Therefore, there is much responsibility, and accountability that the pastor must give to the Great Shepherd as to what, if anything, he fed them.
Heb 13:17 Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.
B. So that you are not ¡§scattered abroad¡¨
Mat 9:36 But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.
1. Sheep without shepherds are scattered abroad ¡V they go astray.
C. Why do sheep in the natural need shepherds?
1. Feed, Protect, Lead, Nurture, Keep the sheep together, Heal?
IV. The Authenticity of a Pastor
A. We said that our final gauge of determining the great value of a gift, or esteeming a gift highly is the authenticity of the gift. How can I tell if the pastor is genuine?
1. Pastor¡¦s character
1Ti 3:1-7 This is a true saying, If a man desire the office of a bishop, he desireth a good work. (2) A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach; (3) Not given to wine, no striker, not greedy of filthy lucre; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous; (4) One that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity; (5) (For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?) (6) Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. (7) Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
2. Supernatural Equipment
a. The pastor will operate in the gifts of the spirit. Word of Knowledge, Word of Knowledge, Tongues and Interpretation.
b. The pastor will be strong in healing. Ezekiel 34 God rebukes pastors for not healing the flocks
c. Teaching Anointing will be upon the pastor. Must be apt to teach.
B. The Most identifying characteristic of the pastor is a shepherd¡¦s heart.
1. Just as there are characteristics which determine the authenticity of a precious diamond, the most basic identifier as to the authenticity of the pastor is their God given heart for the sheep.
2. Jesus said that the good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. A pastor will be loyal to the flock, sometimes even at the expense of depriving themselves of some of the simple pleasures in life so to serve their congregations. It takes the shepherd¡¦s heart to see after baby Christians ¡V to love and nurture them, to nourish them with the Word, and to bear with them when they first start trying to walk spiritually.
3. Have you heard the old saying, ¡§he has a face only a mother could love?¡¨ I have had people ask me, ¡§How do you put up with a person like that?¡¨ I guess my response to that would have to be, ¡§They have a life only a shepherd could love.¡¨ Once Jesus gives you a glimpse of how much He loves people, as His undershepherd, and the gifts and callings upon the pastor¡¦s life, we can only respond with a shepherd¡¦s heart.
V. Appreciation through Honor
1 Timothy 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.
A. Appreciation means to value or to esteem. This is vitally important word when it comes to your relationship with your pastor.
Ephesians 6:1-3 Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. (2) Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) (3) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
1. Just as the Bible commands us to honor our natural parents, we should honor our spiritual parents as well with our words, our attitudes, and our actions. We must always keep in mind that we are a part of the local church to be a help and blessing to our pastors, not a liability.
B. Honor to whom Honor
1. Honor timē (tee-may)’a value, that is, money paid, or (concretely and collectively) valuables; by analogy esteem (especially of the highest degree), or the dignity itself: - honour, precious, price, some. Compensation, remuneration, that which is paid in honor of another’s work. In 1Ti_5:7 "double honor" probably refers to an honorarium or wage.
2. Honor Webster: 1. The esteem due or paid to worth; high estimation.2. A testimony of esteem; any expression of respect or of high estimation by words or actions; as the honors of war; military honors; funeral honors; civil honors.
3. Jesus said: Luke 20:25 And he said unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which be Caesar’s, and unto God the things which be God’s.
a. to give away, that is, up, over, back, etc. (in various applications): - deliver (again), give (again), (re-) pay (- ment be made), perform, recompense, render, requite, restore, reward, sell, yield,
4. Lack of Honor can cost you greatly!
Mark 6:1-6 And he went out from thence, and came into his own country; and his disciples follow him. (2) And when the sabbath day was come, he began to teach in the synagogue: and many hearing him were astonished, saying, From whence hath this man these things? and what wisdom is this which is given unto him, that even such mighty works are wrought by his hands? (3) Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary, the brother of James, and Joses, and of Juda, and Simon? and are not his sisters here with us? And they were offended at him. (4) But Jesus said unto them, A prophet is not without honour, but in his own country, and among his own kin, and in his own house. (5) And he could there do no mighty work, save that he laid his hands upon a few sick folk, and healed them. (6) And he marvelled because of their unbelief. And he went round about the villages, teaching.
