Integrity:
The American Heritage Dictionary - 1. Rigid adherence to code or standard of values; probity. 2. The state of being unimpaired; soundness. 3. The quality or condition of being whole or undivided; completeness.
Integrity has to do with our “Walk” as pastors. Ephesians 4:1, “ I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation therewith ye are called.”
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Honestly- 1 Thessalonians 4:12; Romans 13:13
In wisdom- Colossians 4:5
Circumspectly- Ephesians 5:15
As children of the Light – Ephesians 5:8
In love- Ephesians 5:3
In the Spirit – Galatians 5:25
As men- 1 Corinthians 3:3
By faith- 2 Corinthians 5:7
In newness of life- Romans 6:4
In the light- 1 John 1:7
After His commandments – 2 John 1:6
In truth- 3 John 1:4
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After the flesh- Romans 8:1,4; 2 Corinthians 10:3; 2 Peter 2:10
By sight – 2 Corinthians 5:7
In vanity of the mind- Ephesians 4:7, 17
As fools- Ephesians 5:15
Disorderly- 1 Thessalonians 3:11
In darkness- 1 John 1:6
Own ungodly lust- Jude 1:18
In their own ways- Acts 14:6
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A pastors personal life and his professional life are inseparable. Dr. R. F. Horton in his lectures to Yale students said, “the preachers sermons are bur fragments of himself.” Our success as a pastor will be determined by our success as a person. We will never be greater in the pulpit than we are in the parsonage. There are certain qualities that must be found in the life of one who claims the ministry for their life. There are certain qualities that must be found in the life of one who claims the ministry for their life.
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1. Pure- Every pastor must respect his body as the temple of the Holy Spirit
(1 Corinthians 3:16-17) A pastor should avoid any action, activity, or conversation that could bring harm to the Lord’s work. That means he may have to avoid things that are not necessarily wrong in and of themselves. Hebrews 12:1, “Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sins which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
2. Truthful- Dr. W.J. Tucker said, “the two besetting sins of the ministry are laziness and lying.” Plagiarism is a form of lying. We should never imply another man’s idea is our own.
3. Above reproach 1 Thessalonians 5:22, “Abstain from all appearance of evil.”
4. Fire in his heart for God and the things of God. Philippians 3:10, “That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto death;” Jeremiah 20:9, “ Then I said, I will not make mention of him, not speak any more in his name. But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing, and I could not stay.”
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1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”
1. Responsible- Remember the flock you are the pastor of, belongs to God and not to you. You are working for Him. You are standing before the people in His place. The only vision many of them will ever have of God is what they see in you. 1 Peter 5:2, “ Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind;” Acts 20:28, “ Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.”
2. Sincere-You need to be real. Never try to fool yourself or those around you that you are something that you are not. A minister that preaches on Sunday to a congregation about love and curses the store keeper on Monday is no minister at all.
3. Dependable- 1 Corinthians 4:1-2 “Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.”
4. Trustworthy- Honest. Debts are paid on time. A true man of God will treat the church’s money and property as it was his own. On second thought he should treat it better than he does his own. It belongs to God. It is a sin to have unpaid or delinquent bills. Never buy anything until the old is paid for. Do without, even if you must walk, sleep on the floor, or eat in the dark. No unbeliever will believe your message if you owe him money. Pay the church’s bills on time even if you must pay them out of your own pocket. You are only as good as your word. Don’t say you will do something and then not do it. Don’t betray your people’s trust. Keep their secrets.
5. Humble- Phillip Brooks list “self- conceit” as the first danger of the minister. Pride is an enemy of all preachers. By nature he is the leader. He will always be in front. Paul warns us, however in Romans 12:3, “ For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt with every man the measure of faith.”
6. Sense of humor-A pastor must learn to laugh. This does not mean that he never knows when to be serious. To succeed in the ministry you must learn to laugh at both circumstances and at yourself. Many problems can be avoided by a smile.
7. Optimistic- Philippians 4:13, “ I can do all things though Christ which stengtheneth me.” C.E. Jefferson wrote in his book. The Minister As Prophet, “A preacher with a whine in his souls is a preacher whose usefulness is gone. Men who are everlastingly whimpering because of their misfortunes and trials can never lift men into the joy of the Gospel; for if one is to keep his people on the sunny side of the street, he must walk n the sunny side of the street himself”
8. Patient- Allow God to work in His time. Allow your people to be less than what you think they should be. A shepherd leads the sheep to better pastures. He can not and must not try to drive them. Be careful not to complain to the sheep that you are following about the sheep that are straying. If all sheep were what and where they should be, there would be no need of a shepherd. Psalms 27:14, “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart; wait I say, on the LORD.” Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
9. Sympathetic- A Pastor must love people and care about their needs. Get involved with their problems. Weep when they weep. Laugh when they laugh. Work when they work. Never let them be at the hospital alone, Never let them believe they are carrying their burdens alone.
10. Unselfish- Learn to be generous. Buy things for your people. Leave good tips on the table when you eat out. Give more away than you receive. Take better care of missionaries and guest preachers that you need to. Set in the back seat, open the gate, be the last person through the door. Be the last person to eat at the potluck. Refill the drinks of others. Clean up the spills, sweep the floor, hold the door.
11. Teachable- Learn from your mistakes. Learn from your people. Let others have good ideas. Commend them for their suggestions. Even when you disagree brag on the fact they offered an idea. Learn to accept criticism. well. Learn from your critics. Look at criticism as a gift and not as a crime. Never allow someone to criticize you without naming the source.
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1. Ethical- Be up front with everyone. Never take advantage of the weakness of another.
2. Prompt- Be on time- Be on time- Do things on time- Do things when they are to be done. Consider procrastination as a sin. Keep a to-do list handy and add things to it as they come up. Prioritize the jobs each day. Don’t start the second job until the first is finished.
3. Prepared- Hope for the best but plan and prepare for the worst. Anticipate problems and have a solution for them before they happen.
4. Organized- Know where you are going and hot to get there. Have a plan. Keep things in order. 1 Corinthians 14:33, “For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.” 1 Corinthians 12:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.” Titus 1:5, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:”
5. Thick-Skinned-Don’t take everything personal. The old adage rings true, “If you can’t stand the heat- get out of the kitchen” Don’t mistake problems or difficulties as God’s call to another place. God send problems not to move us but to build us. 2 Timothy 2:3,” Thou therefore endure harness, as a good solider of Jesus Christ.” Ephesians 6:10-14, “Finally brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might, Put on the whole armour of God that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but again principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Where for take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness.”
6. Hard worker- 2 Timothy 2:6,”The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits.”
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I Corinthians 11:1, “Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.” Philippians 4:9, “Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall e with you.”
1. Well-dressed- A pastor is an ambassador of the King, when behind the pulpit an appropriate tie should always be worn. Shoes should be appropriate for the occasion and match your suit. Clothes that are worn or out-off-date should be thrown away. Be conscience of personal hygiene. Keep breath mints close. Change your shirt several times daily when hot.
2. Clean- Never allow your personal appearance to distract form the message. Hair should be cut. Facial hair trimmed neatly. Your ear should be clean and in good repair. Your lawn should be mowed and well groomed. Don’t allow junk to pile up around your home or in your car. In your home, beds should be made, dishes washed. You never know when a member of church may need to come and see you at home. 1 Timothy 3:7, “Moreover he must have a good report of them which are without; lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
3. Consistent – Establish your priorities early in your ministry. Determine your convictions and stick to them.
4. Energetic- A pastor can not be lazy. He should work harder and put in more hours than any man in his church or business man in town. Don’t give up easily. The Apostle Paul said in Acts 20:31,” Therefore watch, and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn everyone night and day with tears.” Acts 20:24, “ But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.”
5. Practical- Use some common sense when dealing with people. Be respectful of people’s time. Leave them wanting more. Be sure of your facts. Know where you are going before you start. Have something from the Lord every time you speak. Always have a “GIC” (Just in case) sermon. Be careful about saying no to an invitation to speak or serve. Be careful not to imply to the congregation that you “have attained” while they have not. Never complain about a member in front of another. Don’t use your pulpit to get even with those who disagree with you. Be a gracious loser.
6. Observant-Learn to be a good listener. Watch and note what is going on around you. Don’t be the first to speak and do not demand to have the last work. Leave your options open for as long as you can before making decisions. Look at all the evidences before making up your mind.
7. Even tempered- Control your emotions. Never fight a battle where there is nothing to be won. Proverbs 12:29, “He that is slow to wrath is of great understanding; but he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly.” Proverbs 15:1, “A soft answer turneth away wrath; but grievous words stir up anger. Proverbs 16:32, “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a city.”
8. Efficient-Learn to do two things at once. Listen to sermon tapes or Bible tapes while driving. Read the paper of a good book during commercials on TV. Pray as you exercise. Memorize Scripture while you shave.
9. Friendly- Work at making friends. Try not to make enemies. Always be respectful of those around you. Honor those with authority. Be careful of how you speak of other leaders. Be complimentary. Look in the eyes of those you are speaking to. Have a firm handshake. Smile at people. Smile at life. Don’t blame others for your failures. Take time to write and call your friends. Take time to make new friends. Make your enemies your friends. Never give up on anyone.
10. Separated- 2 Timothy 2:4, “No man that warreth entagleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.”
11. Honest, Law-abiding- 2 Timothy 2:5 “And if a man also strives for masteries, yet is he not crowned, except he strive lawfully.”
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