Homecoming Day, 2008

Temple Baptist Church 1-2-2005
Ephesians 4:8-16

Introduction: Homecoming Day. My family has been in this church for 21 short years and it has been a blessing!

A. Most people never understand their pastor. Paul, when writing to the Corinthian Church, rebuked the divisions that were brought about through this ignorance. The Corinthians’ perspective was off. Not having a proper perspective of God’s man will cause you to do one of two things.

1. It will cause you to elevate your pastor to a plane of perfection that he cannot fulfill and, if he fails, you will criticize him.

2. Or, it will cause you to lower your pastor to a position of disrespect and, therefore, render his influence ineffectual and he will not be able to help you.

B. You need a pastor! God made it that way! Sheep without a shepherd will soon lose their direction, scatter, and fall pray to their enemies. God’s people are like sheep.

Matthew 9:36 says, “But when he saw the multitudes, he was moved with compassion on them, because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.”

C. I want to look at the person and position of the pastor on our Homecoming Day in order to help you better understand what God is doing in your life.

1. The Pastor Is God’s Man – vs. 1 - Ephesians 4:11-12 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: (He is special because God made him that way.)

a. Be careful how you treat him.
b. Be careful how you talk about him.

2. The Pastor Is A Man – vs. 6 - 1 Corinthians 2:3 And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling. (People are sometimes tough on pastors and their families.)

a. He has feelings. He has wants and desires. He has likes and dislikes. He hurts also.

b. He has faults. He is not perfect, so do not hold him to that standard.

c. He has failures. He is to be forgiven as he forgives.

3. The Pastor Is Your Man – vs. 8 - Jeremiah 3:15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. (You need your pastor!)

a. He is your gift. He and his family are there with you in your darkest hour.

b. He is your friend. He and his family will stay with you when others forsake you.

4. The Pastor Is A Hated Man – vs. 9-13 - 2 Timothy 4:14 Alexander the coppersmith did me much evil: the Lord reward him according to his works: (Satan hates him and will use every means to attack him.)

a. He is hated because of the stand that he takes.

b. He is hated because of the Word he preaches.

c. He is hated because of the Lord he represents.

5. The Pastor Is A Loving Man – vs. 14-15 - 2 Corinthians 12:15 And I will very gladly spend and be spent for you; though the more abundantly I love you, the less I be loved. (You can even turn on him and he will love you.)

a. He loves the Lord.
b. He loves the Word.
c. He loves the Saint.
d. He loves the Sinner.

6. The Pastor Is Beseeching Man – vs. 16-17 - Hebrews 13:22 And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words. (Paul used the word beseech 24 times in the Book of Acts and the Pauline Epistles.)

a. He desires only the best for you.
b. He desires only the best for your family.
c. He desires only the best for the church.

7. The Pastor Is A Concerned Man – vs. 18-21 - 2 Corinthians 11:2 For I am jealous over you with godly jealousy: for I have espoused you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.

a. He watches over you.
b. He worries over you.

8. The Pastor Is A Needy Man - Philippians 1:4-5 Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now;

2 Timothy 4:11a Only Luke is with me. (You stand with God’s man!)