1Thessalonians 2:8-12 So, affectionately longing for you, we were well pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God, but also our own lives, because you had become dear to us. 9 For you remember, brethren, our labor and toil; for laboring night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, we preached to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how devoutly and justly and blamelessly we behaved ourselves among you who believe; 11 as you know how we exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, as a father does his own children, 12 that you would walk worthy of God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.

            We have dug a little deeper for several days in verses 3-7, seeing them as a model for every Christian minister, ordained or lay, who has been approved of God to be entrusted with the gospel.  Today we turn our attention to a passage that provides, in my view, a more specific model for every pastor.  We will not spend several days on this one, but that does not mean it is any less important.  It simply means that we see the need to move on.

            We have in this passage three duties of the pastor/teacher (Ephesians 4:12).  First of all, the pastor should invest his own life (vss. 8-9).  Paul wrote in verse 8 that not only had they gently given the gospel to these believers, they had also given their very lives.  This is one quality that seems to separate the ordained pastor of a church from all the lay ministers around him.  The laymen may, if appropriate, invest their own lives in some kind of ministry, but they may also minister to a given situation and then move on.  The pastor, in my opinion, cannot do this.  When a man is called to pastor one of God’s flocks he is called to give his very life in the fulfillment of that calling.  This does not mean that he has to work himself to death, but it does mean that ministering faithfully and properly to that church has to become the professional priority of his life.  I was told at the time I entered the ministry that my priorities had to be always God first, family second and church third.  That means that the shepherding of that flock of God’s choice sheep comes before every other consideration such as other work, recreation, hobbies, etc.  Beyond that, the good pastor should blend his life with those of his church members, literally investing himself into their lives in order to better relate to them and to better know and meet their needs.  I believe Paul did that.

            Second, the pastor should inspect his own life (vs. 10).  Paul wrote that the Thessalonian Christians themselves were witnesses to “how devoutly and justly and blamelessly” he and his co-workers had conducted themselves in their midst.

 Many people would think that once a man is placed in a pastoral position his life would be totally in order and free from the traps that so easily ensnare others.  Maybe it should be that way, but church history reveals that this is not the way it is.  Especially recent history has given us far too many examples of pastors who have fallen into sin.  I believe that careful, continual inspection of the man’s own life could prevent such sad occurrences.  Of course, the pastor has to detest sin, not desire it, before self-inspection can be effective. 

Those three words that Paul used, “devoutly and justly and blamelessly” carry a wealth of meaning for the pastor.  Is he devoted to his pastoral duties and to the lives that God has entrusted unto him?  Does he carry out his ministry correctly, showing no preference to any person or group of persons, rightly dividing the word of truth, and leading his flock in the biblical paths that God has laid out for them?  Does he himself strive with all his might to live blamelessly among those to whom he ministers?  It has been well said that every pastor should live in such a way that if anyone wants to accuse him of wrongdoing they would be forced to lie to do so. 

Honest, Spirit-led self-inspection can help the pastor avoid many a ministerial and moral landmine as he serves His Lord and his church.

Finally, the pastor should instruct with his own life.  The stakes are very high because the Christians in our care are expected to “walk worthy of God who calls [them] into His own kingdom and glory” (vs. 12, brackets added).  In order to accomplish a walk worthy of such a high calling they need what God has given the pastor as his duty towards them.  He is, as contained in vs. 11, to urge them on (exhort), encourage and console (comfort) and model (charge) before them the proper Christian walk.  (The Greek word translated “charged” means literally “to bear witness.)  The pastor’s life should be a living witness to all his subjects that one can, with the help of God the Holy Spirit, walk worthily before the Lord.