Austin Bible Church
The Pastor and His Study
Be sure you are pastoring your right church. 1 Cor. 14:40; 1 Tim. 2; 2 Tim., Titus.
“But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner.” (1 Corinthians 14:40, NASB)
Be sure you are in an area of positive volition. Be sure you are convinced of the doctrine of daily teaching. This will discipline you to study daily. Acts 16:2-13.
Procedure in study: Study in books, series, or categories. Study through a book or category using available recorded Bible doctrine lessons. Start in an area of personal interest or need. Learn more Bible doctrine and as your spiritual capacity grows, disseminate Bible doctrine on a daily basis.
Evangelistic Home Bible Classes are always in order. You will gradually replace these by Bible doctrine classes. Daily study. What about taking the day off? This does not work for me so I do the following:
Set your study time in the morning and afternoon assuming you will have interruptions. At least three hours of study. When the children are all in school, take some time to have some time with your wife. This can be the best time to talk. Relaxing until time to teach. Unplanned time following teaching. This provides about four hours of leisure time each day. For recreation, try to get away one major time per year with the children and one without the children, if possible.
The Pastor and His Teaching
The discipline of daily teaching. The divine prerogative of daily Bible teaching. The content of daily teaching. Evangelism, grade level doctrine (babe, adolescent, mature), original languages. The method of daily teaching. Authoritative lecture. No dialogue. You are the expert. Know your subjects. Systematic series. Categorical development, ICE, progressive development, goals, short and long range.
Baby congregation can handle a little Greek. Adolescent congregation can handle a moderate amount of Greek. Mature congregation should have the Greek written out, illustrate. Plugging class, relaxation class. Several times a year shut down completely. The right pastor is hard to replace.
The mastery of the original languages as a development of the doctrine of verbal inspiration. Doctrine of human IQ versus spiritual IQ. Divine enablement for a pastor-teacher to learn an original language. Use of the Greek in daily teaching.
The consistency of daily teaching. No time for sickness. Keep your body healthy. Exercise on a daily basis, keep your weight down as a barometer of your self-discipline. You hit it every night. This is top priority. If you get behind, the recorded Bible lessons will give you seven league boots. You must know more about Bible doctrine than anyone in the church.
The services and classes of daily teaching. Everything bows to the daily teaching of Bible doctrine.
Sunday services; Explanation of first and second sessions. Philosophy of the Sunday school. Teaching is a reflecting spiritual gift. Sunday school should be optional for third-fourth graders for the advanced families in the church.
No choir. Why? Talents do not edify, they are a fruit of the capacity to enjoy Bible doctrine. Prepare the congregation by relaxing them. Illustration: David’s harp playing in regard to Saul.
No youth directors or sponsors. Parents are responsible for entertainment, not the local church. The stand on dancing, movies and what not should, be explained. Children need the finest qualified teaching in the local church and that comes from the pastor-teacher.
No Christian education director. This has come to mean program... hustle without doctrine. If he could detail for the pastor, fine, but he may become a “get them to work” type. Answer: Assistant to the pastor who has no authority and who is 100% reflecting the viewpoint of the Word of God as taught by the pastor-teacher.
Morning service format: First session: two stanzas of one hymn, offering, teach. Second session: Invocation, hymn, Scripture, prayer, special music (or hymn before), radio greeting, message, hymn, offering, benediction. Announcements should be brief. Mine are five minutes before the service begins. Public prayer should be brief as should the invitation and song service.
The offering is at the end. Why? “Freely ye have received, freely give.” Shaking hands afterward is up to you. Evening service format: Hymns, offering (or at end), teaching, close. No song at the end usually. Weekday Bible classes: Simply have prayer and teach...no promotion.
The Pastor and His Troubleshooting
This determines your ability to discern, to keep the air clear, to properly administer the proper message at the proper time, being able to nourish the babe and mature believer and dust off the adolescent. This will test your maturity to the ultimate.
The principles of troubleshooting. Keep in fellowship and never lose your poise. Gal. 6:1. Don’t procrastinate. Matt. 6:34. Be fair (doctrine of the essence of God). James 2. Be impartial and objective. No bullying. Don’t over-react or under-react. Let the punishment fit the crime. Titus 1:12-13.
“Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1, NASB)
“"So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matthew 6:34, NASB)
“One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,” (Titus 1:12-13, NASB)
Once having done the unpleasant task never look back. Don’t be a Monday morning quarterback, “Did I do what was right?” You can’t change history. The shepherd protects his sheep. Keep their spiritual welfare in sight at all times but use common sense.
Do not bring pastoral pressures into your home. Do not discuss stupid sheep in front of your children. If you have to say, “Don’t repeat this to anyone,” you really don’t trust them and shouldn’t tell the information to them anyway. Constantly protect your wife and children. They are not to be examples to the flock. The illustration of the New Testament Troubleshooter: Titus, digest and master Titus.
The Pastor and His Family
The husband in regard to the wife. He protects her: σωτήρ (sōtēr) preserves her, delivers her. He is her freedom. She has surrendered her freedom to him. Eph. 5:23. He loves her: Eph. 5:25 an unconditional mental attitude love. She is to please him. She is his happiness. She is his entertainment. A very happy satisfied woman will center her whole life around her husband.
“For the husband is the head of the wife, as Christ also is the head of the church, He Himself being the Savior of the body.” (Ephesians 5:23, NASB)
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her,” (Ephesians 5:25, NASB)
The wife in regard to her husband. Her priorities: Daily function under Grace Apparatus for Perception, please her husband, manage the household, responsibilities to the children, and prayer. Her life is her husband. Even her children are not her life, only a reflection of the loins of her husband.
She is always available to her husband. This means no premarital sex in courtship. If there was, confess the sin and get rid of the guilt complex. Get the scar tissue off. This means not rushing into having children or not having a lot of them if in the pastorate. This means plenty of time alone for the husband and wife. A well-adjusted child includes having daddy and mommy out of sight. Example: Samuel and Timothy who were raised without a father. An example of a graced-out family is when the wife does not have to work, is completely relaxed and available. She sure as hell is not a pastor’s wife, she is your wife. Gen. 2:18; 1 Cor. 12. See the woman’s role in the spiritual gift of helps.
“Then the LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him."” (Genesis 2:18, NASB)
Her practicality: Prov. 31. Look from the home. She does sell from the home. Her Poise: 1 Peter 3. Her behavior pattern: when a woman can call her husband “Lord” as in 1 Peter 3:6. She is very relaxed lady. Her inner beauty: 1 Tim. 2 “Shamefacdedness” inner mental attitude of compassion and grace. “Sobriety” is stability of the thought pattern.
“just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.” (1 Peter 3:6, NASB)
The parents in regard to the children. Rule them. 1 Tim. 3; Titus 1:6. Train them and that includes discipline. Prov. 22:6. Teach them. Deut. 6:4-9. Divine Institutions, basic doctrine, adolescent doctrine.
“namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.” (Titus 1:6, NASB)
“Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6, NASB)