I’m studying for next week’s sermon. The Scripture is from Acts 1:15-26 and tells us about the apostles replacing Judas as the 12th apostle. There were three necessary qualifications to become an apostle: Had to have been with them since Jesus was baptized (Acts 1:21-22); had to have seen Jesus after the resurrection (Acts 1:22); and had to be chosen by the Lord (Acts 1:26). They came up with two options – Matthias and Barsabas. And it really seems strange to us, but since they had not received the Holy Spirit yet, they cast lots (probably rolled dice) to see what Jesus’ will was in which one they should pick. We would not do this today, but casting lots was common back then. Proverbs 16:33 says, “We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines how they fall.” This was the last time in the Bible that they cast lots. The lot fell on Matthias.
This was a tough leadership transition. There have been some messy leadership transitions in the church over the years and I don’t have to list examples. This had to be one of the tougher ones. And even though we don’t hear about Matthias in the Bible (scholars have reason to believe he may have gone to minister in Ethiopia), it was an important appointment and God gave the people what they needed in a leader.
Today, we like to vote on everything in the church. We like to get a consensus. The problem with voting is we usually vote for what we prefer. We don’t necessarily vote for what we think Jesus wants. Sometimes we don’t personally prefer what Jesus wants. Some churches vote out pastors because they don’t like to hear preaching about sin and repentance. No preacher ever gets voted out because they preach too much about God’s love and God’s blessings.
The apostles were interested in what Jesus wanted and the leader they needed to accomplish His mission. Undoubtedly, there would have been some people who preferred Matthias and others who preferred Barsabas. They were not going to settle for what they wanted. They wanted God to give them the one that He wanted, believing that was the one they needed. (I believe God can give you what you need even if you don’t have the pastor you want – And sometimes it may take having a pastor you don’t ‘want’ for God to give you what you need!)
Here’s a list of 10 things church members desire in a pastor from Thom Rainer*:
- Love of congregation. “If we know that our pastor loves us, everything else falls in place. If he doesn’t, nothing else matters.”
- Effective preaching. “I don’t have any expectation that my preacher be one of the best in the world, I just want to know that he has spent time in the Word each week to teach us effectively and consistently.”
- Strong character. “No pastor is perfect, but I do want a pastor whose character is above reproach on moral, family, and financial issues.”
- Good work ethic. “I don’t want either a workaholic pastor or a lazy pastor. Unfortunately, our last two pastors have been obviously lazy.”
- Casts a vision. “Our church has so much possibility; I want to hear what we will do to make a difference in our community and the world.”
- Demonstrates healthy leadership. “Most of the pastors in my church have demonstrated a good balance; they have been strong leaders but not dictators.”
- Joyous. “Our current pastor is a man of joy. His joy and enthusiasm are contagious. I love him for that!”
- Does not yield to critics. “I know that every pastor serving today has his critics. And I know it’s tough to deal with them. I just want these pastors to know that we supporters are in the majority. Please don’t let the minority critics dictate how you lead and serve.”
- Transparent. “Every pastor that I have had has been open and transparent about the church and the direction we are headed. It sure has made our church healthier.”
- Models evangelism. “Our pastor is passionate about sharing the gospel. His heart and attitude are contagious.”
*From Thom Rainer at http://thomrainer.com/2013/01/14/ten-things-church-members-desire-in-a-pastor/
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