Because He Exists: Church Leadership: Presently Qualified 1 Tim. 3:8-13

Intro:

Did you notice anything different as you came in today? (SHOW PIC OF THE CBA SIGN)

Summaryof last week: Speaking the truth in love is essential to growing up in every way (Eph. 4:25-32). I had someon ask a really good question this week, what does that look or sound like:

Be honest (Eph. 4:25 “Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.” )

Keep Current (Eph. 4:26-27 “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”

Attach the problem not the person (Eph. 4:29 “Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

Act, don’t react (Eph. 4:31-32 “Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

The present state of the heart is what is most important.

Outline:

Personally: “Dignified” (vs. 8-10)

Marriage: “Wives” (v. 11)

Family: “Lead” (vs. 12-13)

Summary: “Where is he presently?”

Prayer:

Personally: “Dignified not Devine, Steady not Sinless, Maturing not Mastered” (vs. 8-10)

Dignified (v. 8)

Deacons: servant, minister

Likewise- to what, what was just mentioned before?

Must be- This verb is not in this verse! Why, because it is piggy backing off of the verb used in 1 Tim. 3:2 “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,” and 3:7

Presently being- the present state of the heart

dignified- “semnous”, worthy of respect; especially on account of one’s behaviour, used also of older men in Titus 2:2. He shows self control

in communication

in appetite

in finances

in Work ethic

in sexual behaviour

This word is used in 1 Tim. 2:2 “for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” We are all to be praying for this! This is not just for deacons but for all of us.

Presently Not (v. 8) THINK OF BIBLICAL EXAMPLES FOR EACH

Presently Not double-tonged- “dilogous”, adjective, double-talk, hypocritical or insincere speech on account of equivocation or duplicitiousness. what you say is what you mean. Jesus tells us that out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. What fills my heart fuels my tonue.

Am I seeking to speak the truth in love?

Be honest, keep current, attack the problem not the person, act don’t react

Presently Not addicted to much wine- “prosecho”, to serve, (devote) pres act, part, to devote (part of) one’s life or efforts to. Our culture would like us to believe that being a man is directly related your alcohol consumption. Listen to a country song, watch a movie, look at the fans at a sporting event, what do they have in their hand? Put it this way, this is not the highlight of your day or the objective of your weekend. Your life is characterized by more than what you consume.

Is the Holy Spirit the number one controling agent in my life? Am I presently enslaved to what I consume?

As a deacon you will be asked to make decisions about things. We want to be as sharp as we can be in order to make those decisions.

Presently Not greedy for dishonest gain- “aischrokerdes” fond of dishonest gain, shamefully greedy, being so desirous of aqcuiring wealth that it brings disgrace and shame on a person or his family. “Boys and their toys” right? It is not a sin to own a boat, motorcycle, house in florida, or go on vacation. But these are not the things you are willing to sacrifice your marriage, family, or corporate worship for.

Am I giving financially to the church? When finances get tight, this can often be the first thing that goes. If I am not, what is hindering me?

Presently holding (vs. 9-10)

They must hold- “echo” pres, act, part, have, to consider, reckon

the mystery of the faith- “mysterion”, the revealed secret, a divine secret that is now openly revealed. faith- the gospel content, the content of what is (and should be) believed about the good news of Jesus’ way of salvation. We are not talking about some secret society or rituals that they must hold to

The Letters to Timothy and Titus B. Qualifications for Overseers and Deacons (3:1–13)

In any case, Paul’s counsel to Timothy assumes that deacons are not just busy activists but also capable and informed in matters pertaining to Christian teaching, experience, and to some extent the Scriptures (OT and any then-recognized NT) themselves.

with a clear conscience- “meant that there must be nothing in the conduct of these men that was glaringly inconsistent with their professed beliefs. In other words they must not profess one thing but practice another.”

Litfin, A. D. (1985). 1 Timothy. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 2, p. 738). Victor Books.

Let them also be tested first- “dokimazo” pres, pass, imperative (command) examine, test approve, to be scrutinized, to be or become examined critically or searchingly, or in minute detail (whether genuine or not). How do you know if they presently hold the faith with a clear conscience?

then let them serve as deacons- “diakoneo” pres, act, imperative (command) to serve as deacon

if they prove themselves- “eimi” pres, act part, conditional participle

blameless- “anenkletoi”, adjective, abover reproach, unaccusable, not subject to, deserving, or worthy of a charge of wrongdoing. AHA, this is where we get the idea of perfect or without sin. But what is Paul hinting at here. Is he saying without fault? These are the other times it is used in Scripture by Paul:

1 Cor 1:8 “who will sustain you to the end, guiltless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Colossians 1:22 “he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him,”

1 Tim

Titus- 2x 1:6-7

It seems to me that what Paul is getting at is that after being tested, there is no question as to whether or not you love Jesus and are found in Him. No one is guessing whether or not you are a believer.

Application/Implications:

So what do you think men? Where are you presently in the process of being “dignified”? Maybe there are some things that the Holy Spirit brought conviction about in the last few minutes. Confess it to him now, repent, and seek God’s grace this week to change and obey.

Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t think I would ever be able to be a Deacon?” Why not? According to this, what is holding back God’s work in you?

If you are planning on not letting your name stand, I think that needs to come with a lan of areas you want to talk with someon about this year because you are saying that who pepole see you to be is not who you are.

1 Cor. 6:9-11 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.”

Prgressive sanctification

Transitional phrase: There is no doubt, men, we have to start by looking in the mirror of our souls and taking a good hard look. But seek to do this without looking into the mirror of God’s Word and living the reality of what He says. It is hard to serve if people cannot trust what you say. It is hard to serve if you are not sober, it is hard to serve if you spend most of your time trying to accuire wealth.

Marriage: “Wives Dignified not divine, Faithful not flawless, Maturing not Mastered” (vs. 11)

Presently Dignified (vs. 11) Same pattern as before

Their wives- this could be translated as deacon’s wives or a group of female deacons (Phoebe in Rom 16:1 “I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae,” )

likewise

must be dignified- “semnous”, worthy of respect; especially on account of one’s behaviour- there is no doubt that the two of you love Jesus! Wife, you are not just tollerating this as if it is something your husband is into so you are going to go along with.

This structure gives weight to the fact that God sees man and women as co-heirs with Him, yet serve in different roles. There is not a double standard here.

Presently Faithful (vs. 11)

Not slanderers- “diabolous” devil, characterized by attacking the reputation of another by slander or libel

but sober-minded- not given to any extremes in behaviour; perhaps especially in terms of alcohol, temperate, well-balanced

Faithful in all things-”pistas” reliable, trusting, characterized by belief, trust, and reliance (on Jesus for salvation)

Once again, It seems that what Paul is getting at is that after being tested, there is no question as to whether or not you love Jesus and are found in Him. No one is guessing whether or not you are a believer. This is what it means to be faithful in all things.

Application/Implications:

So what do you think ladies? Where are you in the process of being “dignified” presently? Maybe there are some things that the Holy Spirit brought conviction about in the last few minutes. Confess it to him now, repent, and seek God’s grace this week to change and obey.

Maybe you are thinking, “I don’t think I would ever be able to be a Deacon’s wife?” Why not? According to this, what is holding back God’s work in you?

Transitional phrase: There is no doubt, ladies, we have to start by looking in the mirror of our souls and taking a good hard look. But don’t look into that mirror without the mirror of God’s Word! It is hard to serve your husband if he cannot trust what you say about what has been said. It is hard to serve your husband if you are not sober or well-balanced in your your emotions and behaviour. It is hard to serve your husband if you are not trusting in Jesus on a regular basis.

Family: “Lead” (vs. 12-13)

Presently One Woman man (vs. 12)

Let deacons each

be - estosan” from eimi- to be (quality)

the husband of one wife- genitive of possession, relation.

Presently Leads his children (vs. 12)

Managing their children- “proistamenoi”- to lead (authoirty), to be in charge of

and their households well- during the time of writing this, the church met in homes. It was a lot harder to have two different lives during these times. Navogating home well, it is a joy and blessing to be with your wife and kids. They are not “holding you back” from what you could really do...

Presently Gain (vs. 13)

For those who serve well as deacons- combining the thought of loving your wife and navogating home life well to serving as a deacon well.

gain a good standing for themselves- “bathmos” the idea of rank or grade, recognition

and also great confidence in the faith- great confidence to continue to do what is right and serve with more compassion, more willingness, more eager to serve the body of Christ. What will I gain from this, well, here it is.

that is in Christ Jesus

Application/Implications:

There seems to be 5 areas in a man’s life expressed here (John Stott)

Personally: self-controlled and mature

drink

Money

Temper

Tongue

Family:

Faithful to his wife

Discipline of his Children

Relationships:

Hospitable

Gentle

Outsiders:

highly esteemed

Faith:

Strong in his hold on its truth

gifted in teaching it

Application/Implications:

Maybe you are sitting there thinking well, I can’t be a deacon because I am not married, or I don’t have kids. Well, be faithful personally and if God allows you to get married, be faithful in your marriage.

Feb 11 we will be having a Deacon Orientation from 10am-12pm here at the church to answer any questions you might have. Wives, we want you to be there. So, we are providing child care

Transitional phrase:

Summary: Where is he presently

Song:

Discussion questions

Worship- Renew the Mind (Scripture)

1. What passage of Scripture did we look at? Summarize it in your own words.

2. ?

3. ?

4. ?

Grow- Engage the Heart (Conversation)

1. ?

2. ?

3. ?

Serve- Enlist the Body (Action)

?

?

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