Leaders Worthy Of Imitation
Sermon
Sermons On The Second Readings
Series II, Cycle A
Object:
"Repent! Be saved! The end is at hand!" These are familiar words hailing from the "Brickyard" preachers at North Carolina State University. The university plaza, affectionately known as the Brickyard, is a centrally located gathering place for campus and community activities.
Freedom of speech is exercised frequently in the Brickyard as wandering street preachers avail themselves of an opportunity to announce the end of the world with their Chicken Little "the sky is falling" flair. The message is always the same: "Get right with God, or you're gonna get left!"
Perhaps a stranger has cornered you on a city sidewalk, ranting about being saved. It's a real shame that some people only hear the gospel proclaimed in that manner. We know how street-corner criers present a negative impression of Christianity. The apostle Paul had to contend with some strange preachers in his day, too. Itinerant evangelists gave both the gospel and Paul a bad name. People in Paul's day formed opinions of his religion based on their experiences with some of these itinerant preachers. Many were con artists, out to make a fast buck any way they could.
In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul appears to be defensive, and rightly, he is. His integrity has been challenged, and defensiveness is a human response to most threatening situations. Our primitive fight-or-flight instinct kicks in and we decide, consciously or otherwise, whether to stand our ground or to run for our lives. Paul plants his heels and prepares to stand firm, while the Thessalonians fear for his life.
Paul's enemies may have accused him of being a shepherd who has deserted the flock at the first sign of danger. What they did not know was that church members insisted he leave town for his own safety. They were afraid of another mob demonstration like the one in Philippi (Acts 17:10). It is easy for those not in the know to misinterpret his abrupt departure.
The Thessalonians know that Paul and his companions have come to them after shameful treatment and imprisonment at Philippi. Against strong opposition, Paul's team had persisted in their proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. The wounds from the flogging Paul and Silas had received at Philippi may not have completely healed yet (Acts 16:22-23).
In his preaching, Paul resists all temptation to tone down the gospel message. Paul is sure of his call to be an apostle to the Gentiles, and he does not present a sugarcoated gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:3). He proclaims that salvation comes by faith alone through the grace of God. Pastors and church leaders have always needed a healthy dose of ego strength if they are to survive in ministry. They face opposition from within the church as frequently as from outside.
Paul defends himself, Silas, and Timothy, his mission team against the criticism that they are just part of the usual "in-it-for-the-money" teachers who are moving from town to town during this period of time. The criticism against Paul is that there is no truth to his teachings about Jesus and that Paul is only working to enrich himself.
Money matters, but we are not comfortable talking about it, especially in the church. Paul is making it clear that he is not raising money for himself, never has, and never will. The collection he is raising is for the church in Jerusalem and not for him and his team. He is bivocational, having mastered the trade of tent-making, and consequently is self-supporting. A tent is a handy item for a traveling evangelist in the ancient world. It can be rolled into a sleeping bag at night, serve as an awning during the heat of the day, or even become a sail, catching wind over open waters.
Paul is the founding pastor of the church at Thessalonica. We are all familiar with the term pastor, but what exactly is a pastor? How does one describe that role? The word pastor is used only once in the entire Bible (Ephesians 4:11), although the office of pastor is assumed throughout the entire New Testament, just not specifically mentioned in scripture.
To pastor means to feed, and the pasture is the place to find that food. So, here you are this morning, sitting in your pasture, being fed and nourished by God's word and living water. In Paul's day, the word pastor was usually applied to one who took care of animals, particularly sheep.
The synonym for pastor used throughout the Bible is shepherd. In the Old Testament, God is a shepherd to the people of Israel, tending, guiding, and protecting them. In the New Testament, God is the head shepherd, calling and appointing other people to act as shepherds of God's sheep.
Jesus is the good shepherd who "lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Jesus has demonstrated to us what shepherding is supposed to be, and Paul has followed this example. A shepherd is a servant leader whose job description includes leading others toward God. Servant is a word that can have several meanings.
Servant may bring to mind a slave who is forced to labor against her or his will. Then, there is the domestic servant such as a butler or maid. A public servant can be an elected official or a community volunteer. On a more personal level, a servant is someone who selflessly gives of him or herself and is willing to make sacrifices on your behalf.
Manual labor is invigorating, and is a way of serving God. In her book, Dakota, Kathleen Norris refers to the Benedictine motto ora et labora as counsel: "... a well-made cabinet, a well-swept floor, can be a prayer."1 There are the ordinary, everyday responsibilities that must happen in order for the church as an organization to run smoothly.
Paul doesn't think of himself more highly than he thinks of other Christians. He wants to share his faith and also wants other Christians to strengthen him, an attitude of humility. Paul sees himself as a servant/leader by the example Jesus himself set.
During his last evening with his disciples, Jesus washed their feet and served a meal. He was their leader, but he also served them. Christ "emptied himself" and "took on the form of a slave" (Philippians 2:5-7). Paul's servanthood takes place within the context of Jesus' question, "Do you love me? ... If you love me, feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).
God's power has been revealed in the suffering and death of Jesus. God has done this that we might be servants of the good news. In the spirit of Jesus and Paul, we lead others on a journey toward spiritual maturity. We help to cultivate a faith-producing environment, such as our church, that is conducive to spiritual growth.
By virtue of our baptism into the priesthood of all believers, God calls each and every one of us to a ministry of caring for others. Pastors and church leaders are today's more obvious shepherds. I am not the only minister around here; we are all ministers and latter-day counterparts of the early apostles.
The New Testament church functioned as a seminary that raised up the laity from the inside, training them and then turning them loose on the outside. When Paul wanted to establish a new church, he evangelized, established new believers in the faith, equipped them for ministry, and then moved on to repeat the process in a different location.2 After Paul and his team moved on, a bishop did not send another pastor, nor did the congregation form a call committee to search for a new pastor. The congregation became a seminary, "raising up" another shepherd from the inside.
This principle was at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. Jesus is the only high priest, while the rest of us are priests, ministering under the authority of Christ. The reason we see so many United Methodist and Baptist churches today is because these denominations raised up their laity to minister. John Wesley first sent the laity as circuit riders on horseback throughout Great Britain and then North America to sow gospel seeds. Baptists farmed during the day and became lay pastors in the evening, "reviving" their communities under the stars.3 Churches that did not emphasize professional, seminary-trained ministers were the churches that grew and spread throughout the New World.
Pastor Paul is gentle, "like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). The apostles' ministry resembles a family relationship more than it does an organization. They genuinely love the people to whom they minister. One crucial opportunity is for leaders to disciple, or mentor, the young men and women of the next generation.
Pastor Paul preaches inclusivity, that all of us are God's beloved children. Ethnicity, gender, race, socio-economic status -- none of those things is a concern. Paul's world is a multicultural, multiethnic, multi-linguistic, multi-sectarian world just as ours is today. All need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul shows love to the flock, wishing them grace and peace, thanking God for them, affirming the reputation of their faith, and praying for them always. Paul is a good example of one who prays for his friends, acquaintances, and even his enemies.
We are called to be faithful servants so that when the king comes he will say, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me" (Matthew 25:35-36). God empowers us as leaders and as followers to build up, to influence, and to persuade others. We build and strengthen our community of believers so that we may reach out to serve. Amen.
____________
1. Kathleen Norris, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography (New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1993), p. 185.
2. Michael Slaughter, Spiritual Entrepreneurs: 6 Principles for Risking Renewal (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995), p. 82.
3. Ibid, p. 84.
Freedom of speech is exercised frequently in the Brickyard as wandering street preachers avail themselves of an opportunity to announce the end of the world with their Chicken Little "the sky is falling" flair. The message is always the same: "Get right with God, or you're gonna get left!"
Perhaps a stranger has cornered you on a city sidewalk, ranting about being saved. It's a real shame that some people only hear the gospel proclaimed in that manner. We know how street-corner criers present a negative impression of Christianity. The apostle Paul had to contend with some strange preachers in his day, too. Itinerant evangelists gave both the gospel and Paul a bad name. People in Paul's day formed opinions of his religion based on their experiences with some of these itinerant preachers. Many were con artists, out to make a fast buck any way they could.
In his letter to the Thessalonians, Paul appears to be defensive, and rightly, he is. His integrity has been challenged, and defensiveness is a human response to most threatening situations. Our primitive fight-or-flight instinct kicks in and we decide, consciously or otherwise, whether to stand our ground or to run for our lives. Paul plants his heels and prepares to stand firm, while the Thessalonians fear for his life.
Paul's enemies may have accused him of being a shepherd who has deserted the flock at the first sign of danger. What they did not know was that church members insisted he leave town for his own safety. They were afraid of another mob demonstration like the one in Philippi (Acts 17:10). It is easy for those not in the know to misinterpret his abrupt departure.
The Thessalonians know that Paul and his companions have come to them after shameful treatment and imprisonment at Philippi. Against strong opposition, Paul's team had persisted in their proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ. The wounds from the flogging Paul and Silas had received at Philippi may not have completely healed yet (Acts 16:22-23).
In his preaching, Paul resists all temptation to tone down the gospel message. Paul is sure of his call to be an apostle to the Gentiles, and he does not present a sugarcoated gospel (1 Thessalonians 2:3). He proclaims that salvation comes by faith alone through the grace of God. Pastors and church leaders have always needed a healthy dose of ego strength if they are to survive in ministry. They face opposition from within the church as frequently as from outside.
Paul defends himself, Silas, and Timothy, his mission team against the criticism that they are just part of the usual "in-it-for-the-money" teachers who are moving from town to town during this period of time. The criticism against Paul is that there is no truth to his teachings about Jesus and that Paul is only working to enrich himself.
Money matters, but we are not comfortable talking about it, especially in the church. Paul is making it clear that he is not raising money for himself, never has, and never will. The collection he is raising is for the church in Jerusalem and not for him and his team. He is bivocational, having mastered the trade of tent-making, and consequently is self-supporting. A tent is a handy item for a traveling evangelist in the ancient world. It can be rolled into a sleeping bag at night, serve as an awning during the heat of the day, or even become a sail, catching wind over open waters.
Paul is the founding pastor of the church at Thessalonica. We are all familiar with the term pastor, but what exactly is a pastor? How does one describe that role? The word pastor is used only once in the entire Bible (Ephesians 4:11), although the office of pastor is assumed throughout the entire New Testament, just not specifically mentioned in scripture.
To pastor means to feed, and the pasture is the place to find that food. So, here you are this morning, sitting in your pasture, being fed and nourished by God's word and living water. In Paul's day, the word pastor was usually applied to one who took care of animals, particularly sheep.
The synonym for pastor used throughout the Bible is shepherd. In the Old Testament, God is a shepherd to the people of Israel, tending, guiding, and protecting them. In the New Testament, God is the head shepherd, calling and appointing other people to act as shepherds of God's sheep.
Jesus is the good shepherd who "lays down his life for the sheep" (John 10:11). Jesus has demonstrated to us what shepherding is supposed to be, and Paul has followed this example. A shepherd is a servant leader whose job description includes leading others toward God. Servant is a word that can have several meanings.
Servant may bring to mind a slave who is forced to labor against her or his will. Then, there is the domestic servant such as a butler or maid. A public servant can be an elected official or a community volunteer. On a more personal level, a servant is someone who selflessly gives of him or herself and is willing to make sacrifices on your behalf.
Manual labor is invigorating, and is a way of serving God. In her book, Dakota, Kathleen Norris refers to the Benedictine motto ora et labora as counsel: "... a well-made cabinet, a well-swept floor, can be a prayer."1 There are the ordinary, everyday responsibilities that must happen in order for the church as an organization to run smoothly.
Paul doesn't think of himself more highly than he thinks of other Christians. He wants to share his faith and also wants other Christians to strengthen him, an attitude of humility. Paul sees himself as a servant/leader by the example Jesus himself set.
During his last evening with his disciples, Jesus washed their feet and served a meal. He was their leader, but he also served them. Christ "emptied himself" and "took on the form of a slave" (Philippians 2:5-7). Paul's servanthood takes place within the context of Jesus' question, "Do you love me? ... If you love me, feed my sheep" (John 21:15-17).
God's power has been revealed in the suffering and death of Jesus. God has done this that we might be servants of the good news. In the spirit of Jesus and Paul, we lead others on a journey toward spiritual maturity. We help to cultivate a faith-producing environment, such as our church, that is conducive to spiritual growth.
By virtue of our baptism into the priesthood of all believers, God calls each and every one of us to a ministry of caring for others. Pastors and church leaders are today's more obvious shepherds. I am not the only minister around here; we are all ministers and latter-day counterparts of the early apostles.
The New Testament church functioned as a seminary that raised up the laity from the inside, training them and then turning them loose on the outside. When Paul wanted to establish a new church, he evangelized, established new believers in the faith, equipped them for ministry, and then moved on to repeat the process in a different location.2 After Paul and his team moved on, a bishop did not send another pastor, nor did the congregation form a call committee to search for a new pastor. The congregation became a seminary, "raising up" another shepherd from the inside.
This principle was at the heart of the Protestant Reformation. Jesus is the only high priest, while the rest of us are priests, ministering under the authority of Christ. The reason we see so many United Methodist and Baptist churches today is because these denominations raised up their laity to minister. John Wesley first sent the laity as circuit riders on horseback throughout Great Britain and then North America to sow gospel seeds. Baptists farmed during the day and became lay pastors in the evening, "reviving" their communities under the stars.3 Churches that did not emphasize professional, seminary-trained ministers were the churches that grew and spread throughout the New World.
Pastor Paul is gentle, "like a nurse tenderly caring for her own children" (1 Thessalonians 2:7). The apostles' ministry resembles a family relationship more than it does an organization. They genuinely love the people to whom they minister. One crucial opportunity is for leaders to disciple, or mentor, the young men and women of the next generation.
Pastor Paul preaches inclusivity, that all of us are God's beloved children. Ethnicity, gender, race, socio-economic status -- none of those things is a concern. Paul's world is a multicultural, multiethnic, multi-linguistic, multi-sectarian world just as ours is today. All need to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Paul shows love to the flock, wishing them grace and peace, thanking God for them, affirming the reputation of their faith, and praying for them always. Paul is a good example of one who prays for his friends, acquaintances, and even his enemies.
We are called to be faithful servants so that when the king comes he will say, "I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me a drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me" (Matthew 25:35-36). God empowers us as leaders and as followers to build up, to influence, and to persuade others. We build and strengthen our community of believers so that we may reach out to serve. Amen.
____________
1. Kathleen Norris, Dakota: A Spiritual Geography (New York: Ticknor & Fields, 1993), p. 185.
2. Michael Slaughter, Spiritual Entrepreneurs: 6 Principles for Risking Renewal (Nashville: Abingdon, 1995), p. 82.
3. Ibid, p. 84.
