Church Leadership According to God

Thought Provoking Introduction

There are an estimated 47,300 Christian denominations in the world

Each of these denominations claims to be Christian…

and yet they believe something slightly different than the other denominations…

otherwise they would have no need to start a new denomination.

One of the areas these churches disagree is:

what the leadership structure of the church should look like.

Maybe you’ve attended different churches and seen how different some of these models of leadership are.

Transition

It can be very easy for churches to allow the world to influence how we structure the church,

which is why we need to strive to be faithful to God’s Word!

This morning, we want to take a look at…

Church Leadership According to God

We will see the kinds of leaders God want his church to have in… 1 Timothy 3.

Scripture Introduction

We have been going through the book of 1 Timothy,

which is a letter from Paul to Timothy.

Paul was chosen by God to spread the good news of Jesus to non-Jewish people,

and as he went from city to city,

people came to know and follow Jesus.

These people would then gather together, and form churches.

As those churches began to grow,

they needed to put leadership structures in place,

to lead and guide the growing church.

Paul had a lot of experience doing this according to God’s design,

so after leaving Timothy in the church in Ephesus,

he sent him this letter to instruct him in how to select the leaders of the church.

Let’s read…

Scripture Reading

1 Timothy 3 ESV

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus. I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth. Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

Prayer for Illumination

God, we thank You that we have been saved from our sin

by believing in Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

May it be our desire to live our lives to the glory and honour of Your name.

We thank You for bringing us all together as believers,

allowing us to have fellowship through Christ.

Give us wisdom to structure the leadership of this church according to Your Word, and not our ideas.

If we have not followed Your Word in how we have done that,

or treated Your commands as trivial,

we ask for Your forgiveness!

Would Your Holy Spirit would be active,

opening our hearts, our eyes, and our ears,

so that we may see the truth of Your Word.

Give us the wisdom, the courage, and the faith

to follow Your Word,

knowing that You will bear fruit through our obedience!

In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

Introduction

Opening Illustration

The Pursuit of Happyness

is the true story of Chris Gardner.

In the 1981, when he was 27 years old, Chris and his son were homeless in San Fransisco.

They did not have enough money to rent an apartment,

so they would sleep:

Under his desk at work after everyone else left…

at a church homeless shelter… if they had space…

they would sleep in parks in the city… OR

sometimes even sleeping beside the toilet in a public bathroom at the railway station.

They would eat at soup kitchens…

and any extra money Chris made was spent on daycare for his son

so he could go to work.

But Chris’s life took a turn for the better the day he met a successful stockbroker…

who got him a job interview for an internship at an investment firm.

Things were looking good!

Just days before the interview however,

Chris was arrested and put in prison for failing to pay to pay parking tickets.

He got out just in time to make it to the interview,

but was still wearing the shabby clothes he was wearing when he was arrested.

It is obvious the men in the room performing the interview are not impressed.

Chris’s story has been made into a movie, “The Pursuit of Happyness”

and in the scene when he arrives for his interview,

rather than making an excuse as to why he’s not dressed properly,

he admits that he had been arrested for failing to pay parking tickets.

The men in the room laugh,

and move on to discussing his qualifications for the job.

It becomes clear that Chris may not have the experience they are looking for.

One of the executives then says:

“Chris…

what would you say if a guy walked in for an interview

without a shirt on,

and I hired him.

What would you say?”

The room was filled with silence as Chris thought for a moment, and said…

“He must have had on some really nice pants.”

Chris got the job.

He may not have been the most qualified candidate,

but he had character, drive and persistence.

And it was these character traits that skyrocketed his career.

In just a few years, he opened his own successful investment firm.

Transition

As God gives his instructions to Timothy through Paul,

we learn that God is far more concerned about the character in the lives of his leaders than their work history, experience, or training.

God wants leaders who have proven themselves to be faithful examples to the rest of the church.

This morning we are going to see that:

God Gives the Church Pastors

God Gives the Church Deacons

God Gives the Church Standards

Body of Sermon

I. God Gives the Church Pastors

The first question that we need to ask then is…

What is a Pastor?

Pastors are men who are given the responsibility to lead Christ’s church by God’s Word.

The NT uses a few different words for this role…

“Overseer”

“Elder”

“Pastor”

In Acts 20, Paul, speaking to the leaders of the church in Ephesus,

uses all three of these words in reference to the same group of people.

Because of this we know all three words can be used interchangeably.

At LEMC we use the term pastors…

and since it’s most common term in our day,

that’s what I will refer to them as.

As Paul spread the gospel and planted churches,

he would appoint pastors to “oversee” those churches.

We see this in Acts 14:23

Acts 14:23 ESV

And when they had appointed elders for them in every church, with prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

Summary

Pastors are appointed leaders who lead a church.

The next question we might ask is…

What does a Pastor do?

In his commentary on 1 Timothy,

David Platt gives 4 responsibilities of a “Pastor” taken from Acts 20.

Responsibilities of Pastors:

Lead under the authority of Christ

They are subject to Christ, and to the church, and do not have any authority on their own.

They realize they are under-shepherds, pointing to Jesus the True Shepherd.

Care for the body of Christ

Like a shepherd, protecting a flock, pastors protect God’s people from false teaching.

They take care of Christ’s people for whom He shed His own blood.

Teach the Word of Christ

Like a shepherd who feeds his flock, pastors faithfully teach the Word of Christ.

They long for them to know the truth that feeds and satisfies them.

Model the character of Christ

pastors live out their faith as an example to those they are leading.

They say like Paul, “follow me as I follow Christ.”

These responsibilities are to be taken seriously, so…

Who can be a Pastor?

Men

The main responsibility of pastors is to teach God’s Word,

so we must first see that the office of pastor is limited to men.

As Pastor Jake showed us last week,

Paul, by the authority of Christ, did not permit women to serve as pastor.

This is not because women are inferior to men.

They are both equal before God, created in His image,

but they are distinct and have different roles.

1 Timothy 2:12–13 ESV

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. For Adam was formed first, then Eve;

There are many ways women can serve the church,

but in God’s creation design,

the role of pastor is limited to men.

Even then, the office of pastor is limited to…

Called Men

The office of pastor is something God calls men to.

Paul tells Timothy that it is a good thing to desire,

but the gifting and calling come from God.

Ephesians 4:11–12 ESV

And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ,

Acts 20:28 ESV

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Summary

God Gives the Church Pastors…

And they are given the responsibility to lead Christ’s church by God’s Word.

Transition

But these are not the only leaders given to the church…

II. God Gives the Church Deacons

What is a Deacon?

Deacons are servants, who meet the needs of the church under the authority of the pastors.

We see this in the book of Acts chapter 6.

As the church is growing, they have a food program for widows who can’t provide for themselves.

But there were some widows who were being neglected.

The disciples recognized this was an important problem that needed to be addressed,

but had the foresight to know that it could distract them from their primary task.

Acts 6:2–4 ESV

And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, “It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

The twelve had been given the responsibility to lead the Church through preaching and prayer,

but there was also a legitimate need within the church.

So we see here an early example of Deacons:

meeting the needs of the church under the authority of the pastors.

This allows the pastors to focus on preaching and prayer.

Transition

But what exactly…

What does a Deacon do?

If you’ve grown up in church, or at least been in one for a while,

you may have seen what those Deacons do, and assumed that was right.

Maybe you have no idea what their role is, and have wondered what it is they are supposed to do.

Unfortunately, Scripture never gives us a detailed list of the responsibilities of Deacons.

So, while we don’t have a list to follow, we could summarize their role as:

meeting the needs of the church according to God’s Word.

We see this in the passage we just looked at in Acts 6.

The pastors were faithfully teaching God’s Word, teaching and seeking to be faithful to it.

When the need for fair food distribution came up, the integrity of God’s Word was at stake.

So the pastors appointed servants and tasked them with meeting the needs,

in order to be faithful to God’s Word.

So Deacons are servants, to help meet needs in the church according to God’s Word.

Transition

The next question is…

Who can be a Deacon?

The most controversial issue related to who can be a deacon is

whether or not women can serve as deacons.

I want to have grace and understanding as I talk about this,

knowing that some of you may have differing opinions about this.

Paul begins giving the qualifications for Deacons in verses 8—10 of 1 Timothy,

and then in verse 11 says, “their wives likewise”.

Your Bible translation may use the word “women” rather than “wives”.

This is because the Greek word used there can refer to both.

Speaking on this verse, John MacArthur says…

The Greek word gynē can mean either “wife” or “woman”. Paul likely here refers not to deacons’ wives, but to the women who serve as deacons. The use of the word “likewise” suggests a third group in addition to elders and deacons.

Also, since Paul gave no requirements for elders’ wives, there is no reason to assume these would be qualifications for deacons’ wives.

Part of the concern with whether women can serve as deacons has to do with:

the level of authority they possess… and

what their role is.

Whether or not churches allow women to serve as deacons depends on what level of authority they give to their deacons.

We remember that Paul’s said in…

1 Timothy 2:12 (ESV)

I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man

So if a church gives deacons authority to teach and have authority over a man,

they should not allow women to serve as deacons.

If a church does not give deacons authority to teach and have authority over a man,

they could allow women to serve as deacons.

Here at LEMC, our deacons serve under the authority of us as pastors.

Their primary role is serving the church by:

Meeting physical and spiritual needs within our church…

Visiting those who are sick or in need of encouragement…

Praying for the church…

Serving communion…

Since deacons do not function as pastors of LEMC,

we allow women to serve as deacons,

and we feel blessed to have wonderful men and women who care for our church!

Summary

Deacons are men and women, who

serve the church by meeting needs of the church

under the authority of the pastors,

according to God’s Word.

Transition

We have seen that God Gives the Church Pastors and Deacons,

and we have seen a bit about how they function and serve the church.

But what sort of qualifications are there for pastors and deacons?

It is important to see that...

III. God Has Given the Church Standards

I know it has taken a little bit for us to finally get to our text this morning,

but we needed to first explain the roles before understanding the qualifications for them.

Since pastors and deacons lead the church,

they must be examples to the church in how they live.

Paul gives these qualifications for pastors and deacons,

but as we go through this list, it will be very obvious that these are standards everyone in the church is called to live by.

The only difference is that in order to be a pastor or deacon,

you need to have proven to be faithful in them.

We’re not talking about perfection,

but since pastors/deacons are examples to the church,

they need to be living them out.

We have two lists here in 1 Timothy 3…

and there is some overlap between the lists,

so I have grouped similar ones together,

and summarized them.

They are all qualities that EVERY believer should strive to live by.

Paul tells Timothy a pastor/deacon must be:

VERSE 2

above reproach (dignified for deacons v. 8, 9)

There’s no concerning sin in their life that he is guilty of,

but he is known for being righteous/having integrity.

When you look at their public and private life, they are worthy of respect.

the husband of one wife (v. 12 for male deacons)

lit. a “one-woman man”

The issue here is sexual and moral purity.

A pastor and deacon must be known for being a faithful spouse.

This does not disqualify single men, or Paul would have disqualified himself…

The point here is that pastors and deacons are set apart because of their sexual and moral purity.

sober-minded/not a drunkard/not addicted to much wine

A pastor/deacon must not be known for being a drinker.

Rather they are self-controlled…

able to think clearly, keeping himself in check.

hospitable

not unwelcoming/uninviting or keeping to themselves,

but willing to open up their home and life to others.

able to teach

this is the one qualification that sets apart pastors from deacons.

this list, and the list for deacons are very similar,

but a pastor must have the ability to teach God’s Word faithfully.

VERSE 3

not violent but gentle/not quarrelsome/

VERSE 11

not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.

a pastor/deacon must not respond in violence and anger...

they are not bullies, pushing people around (physically or verbally) in order to get their way.

Rather, they are gentle in the way he handles different situations.

Pastors and deacons are not to be known for

starting rumours…

speaking bad of others in the church… or

spreading false/confidential information.

They are to be known for fostering peace and trust within the body of Christ, honouring others.

not a lover of money/not greedy for dishonest gain (v. 8)

not motivated by a love for money,

but by a love for God’s people.

VERSE 4—5

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?

If someone wants to be an pastor/deacon, look at the way their home life functions.

It shouldn’t be chaotic, and out of control,

but their should be order.

Notice, it is a man’s responsibility to manage the household well!

VERSE 6

He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.

VERSE 10

And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.

A pastor/deacon must not be a new believer who may be more likely tempted by Satan.

They must be spiritually mature, and have proven themself.

You want to be sure they will do well, and be able to handle the role of deacon.

The idea is that you want to know someone well enough to know that they would be a good fit instead of just throwing them in and hoping for the best.

VERSE 7

Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

A pastor must not have a bad reputation in the community, or how could he have a spiritual impact?

But he must be a man of integrity, and be known as such by those who deal with him.

VERSE 9

They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

In his letter to the Ephesian church, Paul said the mystery of the faith is…

Ephesians 3:6 ESV

This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

Anyone who believes in Jesus Christ is a part of His church… a member of His body.

In the story of Acts 6, we see that the Greek speaking Jews were being neglected.

Every person who trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour is a part of the body of Christ.

A pastor/deacon must be willing to serve everyone, showing no partiality.

This is central to the gospel.

The service of deacons comes with a promise.

VERSE 13

For those who serve well as deacons (I think we can say those who serve well as pastors as well)

gain a good standing for themselves;

Pastors/Deacons who are faithful earn the respect of the church because of their godly example.

and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

Their faithful, sacrificial service to the church grows their trust in their Saviour Jesus.

Summary

These are the qualifications/standards that God has given for His church.

All believers are called to these standards,

but only those who are living them out can serve as pastors and deacons

Why is the structure and integrity of the church so important to God?

Paul tells us in the end of chapter 3…

1 Timothy 3:14–15 ESV

I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.

Paul was not able to visit Timothy to give him instruction,

so he wrote this letter so that he would know how the church of God should function.

Shouldn’t each church get to decide how it functions?

Then we could use our creativity to structure it in the way we think is best!

No!

We are not at liberty to operate the church according to our whims and desires…

because…

The Church is God’s

God has saved us, and brought us together to be His people.

In light of this, we are to strive to be faithful to His Word, not our desires.

The church is not a human institution that we are at liberty to change.

It is God’s idea for the growth and protection of His children.

The church is God’s possession, so we must be follow His ways!

Another reason we are not at liberty to operate the church the way we want is because…

The Church is a Pillar of the Truth

The church is a representation of God.

The way the church speaks, functions, and acts is telling the world something about who God is.

We must be faithful in how we represent God,

So we must follow His Word for how the church is to function

ILLUSTRATION

New York City is well known for all the tall buildings and skyscrapers.

Some of these skyscrapers are over 100 stories high…

In order to be able to support the weight of such tall buildings,

builders drill and hammer concrete/steel columns into the ground…

called “piles”.

Here is an illustration that shows how they work.

The piles are driven down until they penetrate solid rock.

Sometimes, they need to drill down 25 stories!

The load of the structure is then distributed between those piles, which support the building.

If the piles don’t go down deep enough,

or are driven in poorly,

the foundation will crack,

the building will lean,

and it may need to be torn down, or

lifted to reset the piles.

Summary

A skyscraper is only as strong as it’s piles.

Transition

A church is only as strong as it’s commitment and faithfulness to God and His Word

The way the church functions and operates is a living example to a watching world of who God is.

But we can quickly disassociate ourselves from “the church”.

What you need to understand is that YOU ARE THE CHURCH!

The church is

a building, and a structure of leaders and committees,

surrounded by ministries and events,

but it is so much more than that!

The church is God’s people!

As a Christian, as you go about your life,

at your job,

with your family,

going shopping…

Your life is your resumé that tells the world something about God.

You can’t rely on your words alone,

you must live it out!

ILLUSTRATION

I was talking with Pastor Jonah this week.

He worked at a bank and was responsible for hiring new employees.

He was telling of a time when there was a higher position available,

and someone already working at the bank applied for the promotion.

This person did not get the job, and confronted Jonah and asked why.

Jonah said,

“You interviewed well. You gave all the answers I would have wanted, and you have all the experience this job requires.

But you’ve been interviewing for the last 9 months that you have been working here.”

Even though this person looked like the right candidate on paper,

Their actions over the last 9 months showed their true self.

Transition

Actions do speak louder than words…

so as those who profess to follow Christ,

we must strive to live lives that declare the truth about God.

CONCLUSION

Ultimately, we know that none of us can live up to God’s standard of perfection.

This is why Paul says…

1 Timothy 3:16 ESV

Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.

The mystery of godliness is not found in us trying harder…

godliness is found in Jesus Christ!

If you are here this morning,

and you think you will get into heaven because you are good,

or you will be saved once you’re good enough…

You need to know that you will NEVER be good enough!

God’s standard is perfection!

Maybe you’re relying on God’s grace and forgiveness to get you into heaven…

You are right that God is gracious and forgiving…

but He has shown that grace and forgiveness in sending Jesus:

to live the perfect life you and I couldn’t live…

to die the death we deserved…

to rise again giving us the hope of eternal life…

He ascended to heaven, and will return one day,

and all who have placed their faith and hope in Jesus Christ will be forgiven and saved,

and they will enjoy eternity in heaven in God’s presence.

If you would like to talk more about what it means to put your faith and hope in Jesus,

I would love to talk with you about that.

I will be here up at the front.

Concluding Statement

Our lives are telling those we come into contact with something about the God we believe in…

May God strengthen us by the power of His Spirit to be faithful witnesses.

Let’s pray.