Ministry is based on mercy

1 Timothy 1:12-17 I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me faithful, appointing me to his service. ¹³ Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. ¹⁴ The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵ Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst. ¹⁶ But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. ¹⁷ Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

What do you look for in a pastor? What are his duties? What is his role in the congregation?

The pastor is a leader, yet he is also your servant. He is a shepherd, yet he is also a sinful sheep himself. He heals, skillfully using the double-edged scalpel of Law and Gospel. He is an evangelist, a teacher, a preacher, an entertainer, a friend, a confidant, a counselor, and he is supposed to be a scholar. He visits the sick, goes to the homebound, marries those in love, comforts the grieving, buries the dead, admonishes those who sin, chases down the wandering and feeds the faithful.

He plans worship services, works in the parochial school, teaches classes, gives devotions in chapel, may coach a soccer team or two (or four), runs camps and spends considerable time in keeping people out of each other’s hair. Between times he prepares a sermon and preaches it on Sunday to those who don’t happen to have any other engagement. Then on Monday morning while he is relaxing with some other pastors playing golf, he smiles when some jovial fellow remarks, “What a job – one day a week!”

The Scriptures have some pretty demanding qualifications for every man who is called into the public ministry. (I listed the Bible verses of these qualifications in your sermon outline, so you can check them out more fully later on.) Here are just a few of God’s qualifications: He must be above reproach, self-controlled, respectable, an example for believers in life, in love, in faith and in purity, watching his doctrine closely, blameless, upright, holy and disciplined (1 Timothy 3:2-7; 1 Timothy 4:12,15-16; Titus 1:6-8).

But would you want a pastor like this guy? 1. He has a poor memory – he doesn’t keep good church records. 2. Argumentative – he couldn’t get along with a mild-mannered fellow co-worker; 3. Dictatorial – he told underlings what to do and how to do it; 4. Stubborn – he openly and vigorously opposed those who disagreed with him; 5. Obsessed about money – he made strong arguments for proper pay and even held a part-time job to supplement his income; 6. Divisive – almost every church he served had a major split; 7. Mentally ill – he is subject to great mood swings; 8. Unpopular – he was driven out of many ministry situations by force; 9. Criminal – he served jail time for several offenses; 10. He also had poor self-esteem issues.

Would you want a pastor like that? What a crummy pastor! Who would ever think to call a guy like that into the public ministry? Umm … God?! Who is this terrible pastor? The apostle Paul. (You can also find Paul’s ministry failings in your sermon outline.)

Today in our worship service, we focus on the overall theme that Christ’s ministry is based on mercy. Christ shows the minister mercy so that the minister can then show Christ’s mercy.

The minister does not do his job in order to speak to an audience but to preach God’s Word to God’s people. It is not about gaining glory but about being used by God to gain souls for God’s Kingdom. It is not about receiving prestige and power, but about becoming weak so Christ can be his strength (2 Corinthians 12:10).

In Moses, the Angel of the Lord (who was the Son of God), did not see a weak, inadequate, whining shepherd. He saw instead someone who would make true the statement, “God and I make a majority.” When Jesus came upon Matthew’s booth, he did not see a sinner who was beyond hope, but a sick soul who needed the Physician of life and death. He did not see a tax collector, but a lost sheep He had come to seek and to save. He saw a man who from that day forward would no longer take taxes from people, but would now give them the Word of God as an apostle and an evangelist.

And it was on the road to Damascus that Saul got to be like Moses. The glorious Lord spoke to Saul in the midst of a bright light. In Paul’s own words, “I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy … The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly.” Saul was stopped dead in his tracks. A light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground, deathly afraid. The voice of the crucified One spoke from heaven: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me” (Acts 9:4)? And suddenly the shoe was on the other foot. The arrester was arrested. The slayer was slain. Saul was struck down and made blind. But three days later, Paul was raised. He was baptized. His sight was given back. His life was given back – a new life, a difficult life, and with this new life he was given a new name – no longer would he be known as Saul, but now as Paul. Through Christ’s grace and mercy, he was no longer a persecutor, but a preacher. No longer hunting those with Christ’s name, but he was now a missionary serving in Christ’s name.

The Lord in His grace and mercy called Moses, Matthew and Paul to “Follow me.” He said, “I want you. Leave your old life and follow me in a new life. A life as my disciple. No longer as a shepherd, but as my chosen leader. No longer as a tax collector, but as an apostle. No longer as a persecutor, but as a missionary.” And for countless generations, the Lord has called men so they are no longer a farmer or businessman or a builder or a soldier or a sailor or whatever, but as a pastor of God’s people.

There is both honor and humility for a pastor when he sees God using men like Moses, Matthew and Paul in His public ministry. For if God can use “losers” like these three, well … then God can use a loser like me, too. If God could convey His message through a staff-turned-snake to stir Pharaoh (Exodus 7:10), and teach a lesson to an unhappy preacher through a vine (Jonah 4:10) or speak to Balaam through a donkey (Numbers 22:28) … then God can speak through someone like me.

In humility, I realize that God doesn’t need a pastor to do His work. We are His expedient messengers, ambassadors by His kindness, not by our cleverness. But it is an honor that pastors also know that even the angels cannot preach the Gospel. This is reserved for the Church of Jesus Christ alone.

In humility, I and all other pastors confess with Pastor Paul: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst. But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.” The surprise for the apostle Paul was that God chose him despite who he had been. God does the same for me. And through the public ministry and the use of the Means of Grace in Word and Sacrament, God does the same for you.

Understanding that I am the worst, God sent Jesus to display His unlimited patience, forgive me, give me faith and receive eternal life. What a stunning expression of mercy!

And what a stunning expression of mercy that He now conveys His treasure of salvation through a cracked pot like me (2 Corinthians 4:7).

A pastor truly needs this mercy of God. Sainted Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary president, August Pieper echoes that truth when he wrote: “[The pastor] needs much more of God's Word for his soul than does an ordinary Christian because he is tempted much more. Doubt of the truth, weariness in ministry and depression, despair and fear, pride and a domineering spirit, men-service and hypocrisy, laziness, lust, greed, and worldly pleasure plague him more than ordinary Christians. More than anyone, he needs daily strengthening through doctrine, comfort, power, upbuilding, encouragement, and warning, so that his light is not extinguished in the darkness, so that he does not preach to others and himself be rejected.”

By grace, God uses men like Moses, Matthew, Paul, me and other pastors to preach, teach, absolve, counsel and administer the sacraments. It is both in humility and with great honor that the pastor is the voice of Christ to speak His Word of consolation and forgiveness to sinners and proclaim comfort to the suffering and grieving. He is the man Christ has appointed to exercise His keys, locking heaven for the unrepentant and unlocking heaven for the contrite. He is the one authorized by Christ to counteract the accusatory lies of Satan that burden the consciences of sinners.

Your pastor may not be the greatest orator, but it is the pen of the Holy Spirit who gives your pastor the words to preach. The pastor may dress up to look classy or dress down to look cool, but that’s why your pastor wears a clerical robe so you do not focus on the man and his clothing but focus on the message and Christ’s righteousness which covers the man like a white robe. The pastor may not be the greatest counselor, but he has compassion and empathy for the wounded sheep and hurting lambs in his flock. Your pastor may not be the greatest singer, but as one of our organists pointed out, “Pastor, we should write music for the three notes you can sing.”

At one time you may have a pastor who is new and fresh from the Seminary, but your sins are still absolved even though the pastor lacks experience, for Christ is speaking through your pastor and Jesus has plenty of experience forgiving sins. Another time you may have a pastor who is older, getting close to retirement age, his cadence may be slow but Christ’s voice is still clearly heard and the Gospel still purely preached. You may have a pastor who is no longer as young and energetic as he once was, but God still works through him to grow His kingdom, feed His sheep, and baptize and commune His family.

Let me share with you the prayer I have printed on the top of every one of my sermons I bring into the pulpit. It is Martin Luther’s Sacristy Prayer and it is the prayer I pray before I preach to you. It is a prayer of the humility and honor of the public ministry. “Lord God, You have appointed me as a Bishop and Pastor in Your Church, but you see how unsuited I am to meet so great and difficult a task. If I had lacked Your help, I would have ruined everything long ago. Therefore, I call upon You: I wish to devote my mouth and my heart to you; I shall teach the people. I myself will learn and ponder diligently upon Your Word. Use me as Your instrument -- but do not forsake me, for if ever I should be on my own, I would easily wreck it all.”

Though Moses, Matthew and Paul were not great to begin with, God made them great and grew His Kingdom through them. Please pray for me and every pastor that your pastor may be a leader like Moses, an evangelist like Matthew and a preacher like Paul. Pray that God may show mercy to your pastor so he may convey God’s mercy to you. Amen.

Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen.

God’s qualifications for a pastor

1 Timothy 3:2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. ⁵ (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷ He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.

1 Timothy 4:12 Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. ¹³ Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. ¹⁴ Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you. ¹⁵ Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. ¹⁶ Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Titus 1:6 An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷ Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless-- not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁸ Rather he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

Who is that terrible pastor?

1.      Poor memory – doesn’t keep good church records

1 Corinthians 1:14 I am thankful that I did not baptize any of you except Crispus and Gaius, ¹⁶ (Yes, I also baptized the household of Stephanas; beyond that, I don't remember if I baptized anyone else.)

2.      Argumentative – Couldn’t get along with a mild-mannered fellow worker

Acts 15:37 Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, ³⁸ but Paul did not think it wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

3.      Dictatorial – told underlings what to do and how to do it

Titus 1:5 The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders in every town, as I directed you.

4.      Stubborn -  Openly & vigorously opposed those who disagreed with him

Galatians 2:11 When Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong.

5.      Obsessed about money - Made strong arguments for proper pay, held a part time job to make more money

Galatians 6:6 Anyone who receives instruction in the word must share all good things with his instructor.

Acts 18:2 There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, ³ and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them.

6.      Divisive – almost every church he served had a major split

Acts 14:1 At Iconium Paul and Barnabas went as usual into the Jewish synagogue. There they spoke so effectively that a great number of Jews and Gentiles believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers. ³ So Paul and Barnabas spent considerable time there, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by enabling them to do miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴ The people of the city were divided; some sided with the Jews, others with the apostles.

7.      Mentally ill – subject to great mood swings

Acts 26:24 At this point Festus interrupted Paul's defense. "You are out of your mind, Paul!" he shouted. "Your great learning is driving you insane.”

8.      Unpopular – driven out of many ministry situations by force

Acts 13:50 But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their region.

9.      Criminal – several offenses, served jail time

Acts 28:17 Paul said to them: "My brothers, although I have done nothing against our people or against the customs of our ancestors, I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans.

10. Poor self-esteem

1 Timothy 1:15 Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-- of whom I am the worst.