As I shared above, last Sunday in Cozumel was incredible. I was asked to participate in the ordination of two very wonderful men of God.
For a pastor, it is the greatest honor.
My devotion for you this week is the words I shared at both ceremonies. I added the video so you can “feel” a little bit of our bilingual service. My translator is one of my best friends and brother in Christ, Guillermo “Memo” Castillo. Jesus told the apostle Peter he would be a “rock” that He would build His church upon. That is Memo for Iglesia Olas de Gracia. He is the unsung hero of our church and community.
“Aloha, Aloha ke Akua.
The New Testament clearly, repeatedly, and unapologetically lays out the qualifications of a pastor. What is so remarkable yet often overlooked is this: Pastors were called and qualified to their ministry not first through their raw talent, their finely-honed skills, or their great accomplishments, but through their godly character.
Of all the many qualifications laid out in the New Testament, there is just one related to skill (they must have the ability to teach others) and one related to experience (they must not be a recent convert).
The rest of the nearly 20 qualifications are based on character. Again, what fits a person to ministry is not accomplishment or capability, but character.
I truly mean this: We cannot overemphasize the primacy of character. A great many of the problems we see in the local and global church today are caused by the failure to heed this simple principle.
So many Christians could be spared much trauma if only their churches would refuse to put a person in leadership who is lacking character.
So many congregations would be spared pain if only they would remove people who prove they don’t have the kind of character God demands.
This failure to heed what God makes plain is a terrible stain upon the Christian church.
Why it is that God so values character?
Why is it that God wants to entrust his church to people of character rather than people of talent or achievement?
Why would He prefer that His church be led by unremarkable people instead of accomplished ones?
Why would he choose an undistinguished but honorable man over a talented man who is known and celebrated for his many skills?
A famous actor who was known for his amazing voice was at a dinner one evening. The host asked..” Would you read the 23rd Psalm for us before our meal? “Of course”, and the actor just read it wonderfully, he knocked it out of the park. People clapped, ”Wow, Amazing” they exclaimed. The actor looked over the table and saw his old pastor there.
“Pastor, would you read it too?” The old Pastor read it. Shakily, quietly with an old voice. When he finished..there was no sound. Total Silence. Tears fell upon the table from the people’s eyes. Later someone asked the actor..” What was the difference?.” The actor said…”I read it, my Pastor, he lives it.”
While anyone can teach what the Bible says, only a person of character can live what the Bible demands. Only they can live in a way that is respectable and worthy of emulation.
The pastor who is carrying on an affair has no right to call his congregation to purity. No matter what he has accomplished in life.
The pastor who is tight-fisted and cheap, has lost his privilege to instruct others in generosity, even if he can preach a powerful sermon.
The pastor whose life is crumbling under the weight of his depravity has no authority to say, “Be imitators of me.”
On the other hand, the pastor who is loyal to their spouse can serve as a model of love and affection.
The pastor who lives simply and gives generously can show what it means to be free from the love of money.
The pastor whose leadership shows strength and humility can say, “Follow my example.”
A pastor is to lead his church by setting direction and making decisions, but they do that first by modeling godliness. Godliness is a matter of character, not accomplishment.
The Bible calls all leaders to look to the example of Jesus Christ and to learn leadership from him. Only a person of character is capable of this kind of Christ-like leadership. Jesus led with love, He led at the expense of his own comfort, He led as a servant who humbled himself before the ones who followed him.
Before he was a man of accomplishment He was a man of character. It was His love of the law of God and his compliance with the will of God that made him the perfect leader.
The pastor who lacks character will inevitably lead selfishly instead of selflessly, he will care more for his own reputation than his people’s godliness.
The pastor of deep Christian character will suffer harm to protect the ones he loves, he will endure trials to do what benefits them.
And then there is this, pastors are not perfect. Yet human weakness also provides the perfect backdrop for displaying divine strength. As Jesus said, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
The man who is strong will tend toward self-sufficiency. Instead of relying on God, he may rely on his natural talent, his inherent skill, and his inborn advantages.
A person of outstanding skill can hold the attention of an audience even with a meaningless message.
A person of exceptional charisma can lead in any direction he pleases and people will follow. It is the person of character who knows that talent, skill, and gifting must all be entrusted to God.
It is the person of character whose confidence is not in the messenger but in the message. It is the person of character who cries out to God in their weakness and pleads with God to display His strength because he cannot rely on human skill, he must rely on God’s divine power.
And so the Gospel shines through our weakness.
Caballerros, please stand,
Can you be men of Jesus’s character? I agree.
You have been men of character, which has led to this special day.
By the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I confirm your intent. Amen
Iglesia, please stand, will you confirm their intent to be Pastors of Word and Deed? The word amen we use literally means “so be it”. So familia de Olas de Gracia. Amen? Amen."
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