When someone asked Jesus what the greatest of all the commandments was, he summed them all up into two: Love God and love people. Similarly, if you were to ask Paul what the greatest priority for the pastor is, he would likely give you the two featured in 1 Timothy 4:16.
Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Keep a Close Watch on Yourself
Before you think about all the selves in your congregation, you need to think about your own self. You need to pay close attention to your character, conduct, and way of living.
The false teachers in Ephesus were men of twisted hearts and rotten consciences. In contrast, Paul urged Timothy to be above reproach. This takes self-awareness, which not all pastors are good at. In fact, pastors can be the most plank-eyed people in the church.
May that never be said of App Region pastors! Let us be the first to confess our sins, the first to repent, the first to learn, and the first to grow. Let us lead the way toward Christlikeness in our churches.
Keep a Close Watch on the Teaching
This is the authoritative teaching that Jesus handed down through the apostles to the church, canonized in Scripture. The false teachers were swerving away from Jesus’ way of living and his teaching. Timothy needed to stay focused on both in his ministry.
Think about your specific people. Aren’t these two things what they need most from you? More than full church calendars and polished music, don’t they need their pastor to be godly and to teach them God’s word? Yet many of us fail at one or the other.
Pastoral ministry is a balancing act. Lean into teaching without letting that teaching form your character and you’ll become a Pharisee. Lean into your personality without teaching well and your people will starve to death spiritually.
Why is this so important? Because of what’s at stake.
For by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers
Obviously, only Jesus saves and we wouldn’t want to mistakenly take credit for anyone’s salvation. But let’s not dismiss Paul’s word choice as hyperbole. This isn’t the only place in the Bible he writes like this.
- In Romans 11:14, he magnifies his ministry to the Gentiles to make the Jews jealous and thus save some of them.
- In 1 Corinthians 7:16 he encourages Christians to remain married to their non-Christian spouses because in so doing they might save them.
- In 1 Corinthians 9:22, he becomes all things to all people that he might save some of them.
You aren’t the Savior; but you are an instrument in the Savior’s hand.
As I think about our region, I don’t think we tend to overestimate our ministry’s impact. I think we underestimate it.
It’s easy to forget that our daily pastoral work has to do with God’s eternal saving work in people’s lives. When we forget this, our motivation leaks. We stop focusing on our example and our teaching. We start going through the motions. We get distracted by random busyness. We grow apathetic, lethargic, and mediocre in our efforts.
If that’s your situation, let this verse snap you back to attention. Let it motivate you to focus on your character and your teaching. Let it generate persistence in this, because salvation is at stake.
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And always feel free to get in touch: matt@theappregion.org.
Pastor, honoring widows is an important part of your assignment. Make sure you're giving proper attention to them this week.