3 PASTORS

Who Leads?

“Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all

the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made
you overseers, to care for the church of God,
which he obtained with his own blood.”
ACTS 20:28

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Every group of people needs leadership to function peacefully and
efficiently. Cities have mayors, corporations have CEOs, sports teams

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have coaches, families have parents, and churches have pastors.

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QUALIFICATIONS FOR LEADERSHIP

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New Testament church leadership is based on divine calling and

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developed character, not on economic or social status. Most of the

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biblical qualifications for leadership deal with the ability to properly

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relate to others, especially family members. Only one, the ability to
teach, deals directly with public ministry. Sadly, the ability to teach
or preach is often emphasized today, while other equally important

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qualifications are ignored. It doesn’t matter how good a man

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preaches, or how prominent he is in the community—if his personal
life or his family life is out of order, he is not qualified to be a church
leader. The following verses list some of the necessary character traits
of a pastor or a local church leader.

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The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the
office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2Therefore
an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of
one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable,
hospitable, able to teach, 3not a drunkard, not violent
but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
1 TIMOTHY 3:1-3
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This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might
put what remained into order, and appoint elders
in every town as I directed you—6if anyone is above
reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are
believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or
insubordination. 7For an overseer, as God’s steward,
must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or
quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for
gain, 8but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled,
upright, holy, and disciplined. 9He must hold firm to the
trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to
give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke

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those who contradict it.
TITUS 1:5-9

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The qualifications for church leadership in Paul’s letters can be divided

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into four categories:

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Moral Qualifications Relational Qualifications

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Family Qualifications Spiritual Qualifications

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Just meeting these qualifications does not mean one automatically

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becomes a local church elder. How then does a qualified man become
an elder? Two biblical principles serve as guidelines for potential
church elders.

1. (1)
Calling
In the New Testament, the local leaders were called by the Holy Spirit
and therefore accountable to Him. Local church leadership is a calling
and has little to do with educational achievement, financial status, or
social standing. It is based on divine call and developed character.

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 “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock,
in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to
care for the church of God, which he obtained with his
own blood.”
ACTS 20:28

2. (2)
Appointment
In the New Testament, local elders and pastors who were called by
the Holy Spirit were also confirmed and appointed by the apostles.
They were not self-appointed. Neither were they elected or hired from
another church or institution.

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And when they had appointed elders for them in every
church, with prayer and fasting they committed them

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to the Lord in whom they had believed.

S T E S ACTS 14:23

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THE PASTOR’S JOB

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Having examined the qualifications and appointment of local church

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leadership, we now turn our attention to the actual job of the pastor
as presented in the New Testament. Among many other roles a pastor
fulfills, the following three are primary.

1.

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One of the primary responsibilities of a pastor is to feed the flock by

teaching and preaching God’s Word. The church was birthed when the
Holy Spirit was poured out and the Word was preached. The Spirit and
the Word always work together. In a generation addicted to preaching
that tickles the ear, God is anointing preaching that pierces the heart.

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do

you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him
the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him,
“Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”
JOHN 21:17

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 2
And the twelve summoned the full number of the
disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up
preaching the word of God to serve tables. . . . 4But we
will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of
the word.”
ACTS 6:2,4

2. (4)

At the very heart of the pastor’s job is leadership. Biblical leadership

is always by example, not by coercion or manipulation. The pastor’s
job is to lead the team and set the spiritual and strategic direction of

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the church.

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. . . shepherd the flock of God that is among you,
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exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but

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willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful

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gain, but eagerly; 3not domineering over those in your

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charge, but being examples to the flock.

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1 PETER 5:2,3

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Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of
double honor, especially those who labor in preaching
and teaching.

3.
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1 TIMOTHY 5:17

Jesus ministered to the multitudes, but He invested most of His time

training and equipping a small group of disciples for future ministry.
Pastors must follow His example and invest their lives into making
disciples who will be able to minister.

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the

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evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12to equip the

saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body
of Christ . . .
EPHESIANS 4:11,12

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FOLLOW THE LEADER
Having looked at the qualifications for church leadership and the job
description of pastors, we will now look at the responsibility of the
congregation to their pastors.

1. (6)
their faith.
Biblical leadership is first and foremost by example. As church
members, we are to observe the life of our spiritual leaders and
imitate their faith.

Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the

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word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life,
and imitate their faith.

U D HEBREWS 13:7

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2. (7)
their work.

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Respect for spiritual leaders has nothing to do with their educational

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achievements, social status, or any other natural accomplishment.

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We are told to respect them because of their work, which is really

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God’s work.

F RP We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor

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among you and are over you in the Lord and
admonish you, 13and to esteem them very highly in love

3.
P because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.

(8)
1 THESSALONIANS 5:12,13

to their authority.
Submission requires that we acknowledge the spiritual leadership
God has placed in the church.

Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are

keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have
to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not
with groaning, for that would be of no advantage
to you.
HEBREWS 13:17

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4. (9)
for them.
Paul constantly requested prayer from the churches he established.
Why? Because he was well aware of how much spiritual leaders need
prayer covering.

Brothers, pray for us.

1 THESSALONIANS 5:25

SUMMARY
New Testament church leadership is based on divine calling and

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developed character, as well as human appointment. The pastor’s
job, among other roles, is to feed, lead, and equip God’s people.

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Our role as church members is to imitate, respect, submit to, and

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pray for them.

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DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

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• What’s one thing you admire about the pastors and leaders
God has placed in your local church? How can you imitate

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Do you pray for your pastors regularly? Would you commit to
praying for them on a regular basis?

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