Geoffrey R. Kirkland, Pastor
1 Corinthians 4:1-2 -- "Let a man regard us in this manner, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. In this case, moreover, it is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy."
Men of God in ministry must strive for holiness. God's men must be godly in all the following realms.
1. His HOLINESS.
God’s man must strive for holiness. No shortcuts exist for personal piety and Christlikeness. Men of God must pursue holiness with singular passion and wholehearted devotion. He must live consecrated to God in every area of life. His holiness must permeate his thought life, his time management, his personal relationships, his interpersonal dealings, his attitude and demeanor, and his ministry endeavors. He must exude Christian holiness in all of life as God’s man and as Christ’s under shepherd in caring for the redeemed people of God.
2. His HUMILITY.
Men in ministry must know their weakness and helplessness. Men of God do not claim to have it all together nor can they claim to handle things appropriately. Men of God know their faults, their limits, their sins, and their inability to bring lasting results for God’s glory. Yet, this does not drive the man to despair but rather it propels him to greater prayer and prostrate worship to the living God of power for sustaining ability and grace. Men of God must preeminently be marked by humility. This will then liken him to Christ who perfectly embodies lowliness and humility. As Jesus depended on the Word by constantly saying: “It is written” so the man in ministry must similarly know and trust in the living Word to guide him in life, guard him from temptation, satisfy him in consecration, and refocus him against worldliness.
3. His HOLD.
This man of God in ministry not only has the Word of God hiding in his heart but the Word has a strong hold on Him. It’s not the degrees that he has that makes him competent and qualified but rather the Living and abiding Word of God that has a firm grip on him that shields him from Satanic temptation and reflects the image of Christ in his life and ministry. He must so hold on to God’s Word with such tenacity that he thinks biblically. His decisions demonstrate a thorough biblical-mindedness. He has his senses trained to discern good from evil and he fervently clings to what is good but abhors what is evil. Understanding his role as God’s slave and a steward of the mysteries of God shows itself in his scrupulous time management and utter abhorrence of wasting any God-grace time that could be afforded in the things of God and the advancement of Christ’s kingdom. This man of God shows his true colors by delighting in God’s strict hold on his heart and life.
4. His HERALDING.
The foremost calling and preeminent duty of the man of God is to tirelessly preach the Word of God. He must know the Word, study the Word, pray the Word, understand the Word, and proclaim the Word with unstoppable passion and tireless zeal. He must, as Paul put it, be ‘able to teach.’ He must have the ability to handle the Word so that God’s people can understand the texts of Scripture. To do this, however, demands that he spends much time studying the Word as a precise surgeon so that he can rightly divide the Word, explain the Word, exhort the Word, apply the Word, and deliver God’s Word as a faithful herald of the heavenly King. Much of this work requires him to descend to his knees in prayerful desperation, in careful study, in theological research, in original language study, and in homiletical care. He does this so that He can faithfully discharge his duty of exalting God, explaining His Word, and shepherding the flock by feeding them the solid meat of the Word.
5. His HOME.
Without question, the real training ground that qualifies a man to serve the household of God in a church is how he carefully and prayerfully leads his own household at home. If a man fails at home, he fails everywhere. He can build a great church and succeed in many programmatic endeavors but if he fails at home, he is a complete failure. Men in ministry prove their leadership and overseeing ability by caring for the mini-flock in the home. If the man is married, he shows himself to be a one-woman-man. He singularly loves his wife—alone. He cares for her passionately. And he loves her sacrificially in a way that obviously and unquestionably reflects Christ’s love for His Church. If he has children in the home, he manages his household well and keeps the children under control (as faithful children) with all dignity. He pastors them. He lives involved in their lives. He protects from worldliness. When sin creeps in, he handles it patiently, tenderly, biblically. He strives to make peace in the home. He leads in modeling repentance, forgiveness, humility, and reconciliation. If a man cannot lead at home, why does one think he would be qualified to lead in the church? The home is the testing and proving ground for God’s man to show that he really is a biblical shepherd.
6. His HONORABLENESS.
The most honorable man to ever live is the Lord Jesus Christ. Men of God who serve as undershepherds must live honorably. There should be a distinctiveness and an attractiveness to this man’s conduct and character. Without this honorable lifestyle, shame will come upon the man, the church, the gospel, and the Lord Jesus Christ. Living honorably means that the man will demonstrate a prudent, respectable lifestyle. He will be a clear-thinker, objective, and unswayed by cultural preferences. He will be temperate and orderly and exuding godly maturity. He does not live enslaved to any substance — to alcohol, drugs, or anything. He loves to open his home in hospitality. He refuses any pugnacious, bullying, selfish attitudes. Rather, he pursues with great vigilance a gentle, meek, peaceable lifestyle both toward God’s people and toward outsiders so as to not bring reproach on Christ nor fall into the snare of the devil.
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