1 Timothy 3:1

Open your bibles this morning to 1 Timothy chapter 3.

Remember this… When the Apostles speak, we listen…

And Paul is speaking about the office of overseer next and it is my task this morning to outline the importance this office carries in the life of the church. So, as is our custom, lets breifly stand and read this one verse in 1 Timothy 3…

1 Timothy 3:1 ESV

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.

First of all we see that Paul give Timothy another saying that is trustworthy. When was the last time we heard this? It was when Paul said, 1 Timothy 1:15

1 Timothy 1:15 ESV

The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the foremost.

So here is another saying that is trustworthy too. What he seems to be doing is passing on easy to remember sayings that Timothy can grasp on to, repeat to himself, and find hope in.

If any person aspires to the office, he desires a noble task. To aspire is to reach for. It can also mean to crave or to shoot for as a goal. Paul then says, he desires a noble task. Using a much more common word for desire which means to set ones heart upon or to long for. The idea is someone who is seeking to move toward Elder status with some intention or training… Noble is also fairly common in the greek. It is used many times in the gospels to talk about good fruit. To talk about a better or righteous choice. So, even from this first sentence we can see the importanceof this “office of overseer”, if someone has a drive to shoot for and long for this office, he desires a good fruit! Which begs to question, what is it?

What did it mean for someone to have an office in the first century church? We see this word used in Acts 1:20 when Peter is talking about filling the role of Judas among the Apostles. He quotes the Psalms and the word used is that Judas gave up his “office”. It was an official poisiton given to him. Given to all of them. They did not create it, but were chosen to take its responsibility.

The other way it is used outside of Pauls letter to Timothy is in the gospel of Luke, 19:44, and 1 Peter 2:12 with the translation being “visitation”. As in, the Lord’s appointed visitation and returning to earth. There is a correlation. What Paul is describing is an appointed position that carries great purpose and meaning for the Church. The same and more can be said about Christ’s return. The office of Elder is appointed by God and of great importance.

What does it mean to be an overseer, then? What is the task that is of such great importance? To answer that question turn with me to Acts 20…

Years before he commands Timothy to stay in ephesus, before his first imprisionment, we have an account of Paul desiring to address the Elders at Ephesus. So, verse 17...

Acts 20:17 ESV

Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.

Which is interesting, he uses a different word here for elder than he does in 1 Timothy 3:1. You can see that in your bibles. Here translated elder, there translated overseer. The word he uses here is Presbuteros… Which generally means an older man. Whereas in 1 Timothy 3:1 he uses episkipos, which means bishop. In general this is how this works, the older men, presbuteros, were more spiritually mature, they had been disciples longer in the word and in their faith. Yet there is an office, an official position given by God called an overseer, episkipos where, age is not a restriction. We know that someone does not have to be older in age to be spiritually mature…And the office of Elder is a spiritual one. Paul is calling the older men, the presbuters, to meet him, but skip down to very 28… He says

Acts 20:28–32 (ESV)

Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, (episkipos)… Which, as John Stott and John MacArthur both point out in their commentaries, Presbuteros and episkipos become interchangeable terms to talk about this idea of Elder in the church, which is why when we talk about elders, we are not simply talking about older people. We are talking about those who are in the position of elder. But lets keep reading…

Acts 20:28–32 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. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

So, I want to show you the two reasons an elder and the church must take this office seriously. Then I want to give you the what, the overarching general job description of what the office of an Elder is responsible for. We can sum it up like this…

So First,

1. Elders Have Been Made Overseers By The Holy Spirit (v28b)

It is a noble task that men desire and aspire to the office of overseer, but it is not certain that they will obtain that office. Some try to force their way in, some are added in haste and ignorace. All under the survey of God’s providence., no less. But, nevertheless, the Holy Spirit makes an Elder.

To be made an overseer by the Holy Spirit means that they didn’t choose it. The Lord called them to take the role. In the case of Alexander and Hymenaus, you remember Paul had to throw them out of the church, in their case they were made overseers for a purpose… What was God;s purpose with them? To show what an Elder is not…

The call though is a reason to take it as serious as God is about Himself. If the Holy Spirit made them overseers, it is a divine work of God to fulfill the office. One which requires the Holy Spirit to call you to and to fit you for through various talents and gifts. We used to understand this through something called ordination…

God called the man, and the church affirmed that calling on their life through ordination. But now ordination is as easy as getting a piece of paper online…That’s not necessarily someone God has called to preach, and teach, and lead His church.

See here that there is a need of balance. For the Holy Spirit calls them, fills them for the job, leads them, but the church and the elders likewise can’t simply sit back and say, “yeah, well, the Holy Spirit will work this out… what can we really do?”.... The urgency here is to be moving and acting on mission, not in haste, but prayerfully considering the Holy Spirit’s calling, in His timing…

This is a noble task, or one of honor not because of the man who has filled it, but because of the one who has called them and what He has called them to.

2. Elders Oversee People Who Have Been Bought By The Blood Of Christ. (v28d)

You, dear Elder, have been chosen by God himself… that has my attention, but what is more is you have been called to oversee His church which was financed by the blood of the Son.

What a project to be an overseerer of. I have had the privledge of watching my dad build his house over the course of the last few years. He has been preparing the land, going step by step, drawing up plans based on the land he purchased, allocating funds, making initial steps and planning each facet of the build and each subcontractor.

Paul says, he gave pastors and teachers for the building up of the church. Like a house being built for the Lord. If the house being built is the church, and this house is going to be lived in by God the father, son, and spirit, we could say that the elders of the Church are like subcontractors whom God has chosen to build up His church.

We here at Providence are one room so to speak in the house of God. The church is scattered over the whole earth. Christ has secured a heritage, a people from every tribe nation and tongue… It is a big house! But the house is priceless, you will never see another thing like it. God’s church is not a building. There is nothing magical about this structure. Nor is the church simply a scheme of organized people that does good on earth. Paul tell Titus, Jesus Christ, gave himself to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself A PEOPLE for his own POSSESSION who are zealous for good works.

To be a chosen subcontractor working on the chosen house of God is a noble task because you are working with the Kings materials. You are working on the Kings clock. You are working on and with a project that is so precious to Him that he has spared no expense, He gave His only Son.

The Church is, IS a people that have been bought by the blood of Christ. The church is a people that have been redeemed. The church is a people who have come to be illuminated to the majesty of God, the sinfulness of their heart, and their dire need for a savior.

Have you seen this? Do you have a desperate, and dire need for a savior.? The church proclaims that their salvation is in Christ’s righteousness alone. No man, no other teaching is good news to us. He is our forgiveness, He is our help out of lawlessness, He is our love and holiness.

Do you see what is at stake in this office, then? John MacArthur said “the ministry effectiveness and testimony of any church is largely a reflection of its leaders…”. What is at stake is hindering or helping people grow in their faith. What is at stake is the Holy reflection of Jesus Christ in the world through His chosen people.

My friends, if you are walking with Christ this morning you are His precious Lamb… Not everyone is a lamb, no doubt. And that is pressure on the office of Elder. We want all to be saved. We want all to listen and obey the word of God. We want all to bow before Christ and walk in humility. Regardless, an Elder carries out His task BECAUSE Christ’s precious lambs are at stake… and even those who seem like goats might be His but just don’t know it yet… Consider that.

People will come and go from our congregation. Some believers some not. Those who go, let them go… God must have other plans for them. The Elders of this church and every church seeking Christ must tend to the ones God puts them over for the sake of honoring the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus.

Which leads me to the what…

What does it mean for an elder to be an elder? How does he oversee giving glory to God? Well he does it in three ways…

1. Elders Pay Careful Attention To Themselves (v28a)

This has a double meaning

1) To yourself personally: meaning, you as an elder need to keep watch first over your personal holiness. Are you seeking Christ? Are you going before your people in trying to understand the word? Are you taking off sin and putting on Christ and doing that work behind the scenes? Paul tells timothy, keep watch over youself and the teaching, for by doing so you may save some. The Elder’s first resonsibilty is to make sure his house is in order. Meaning his own life. Why? Because at Hosea 9 is still true, and he declares, the people become like the priest. People rarely rise above the level of their leaders. Which means if you want your people to grow in Christ, you must be growing too. If you want people to come to Christ, and be filled with a passion, and pray, and read the word, and memorize the word, and care for the lost, and love God above all else in their life, you must become an example to them.

Secondly, you must pay careful attention

2) To yourselves as in the group of Elders: Paul tells them that from among themselves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them. Which is why there must be a vetting process and a training process for elders and every red flag must not be ignored… I have failed at this In the past.

But they must make sure all of them are on the same page. They must not neglect the sanctity of the group as they grow together as brothers in Christ. One of the things that we have been doing as elders is studying together. We just finished one book called Gospel treason and at the beginning of the year we will start a new one. We pray together, making a habit of spending time considering the needs of the church and bringing them before God. But also back in February we started meeting in each other’s houses…at our own tables…and eating together. Can I tell you what warmth this brings to the group. Each one of us has professed the Lord blessing this endeavor. Our time together is not seen as just a meeting, or as a business review anymore, but as a time of friendship, to build each other up and become tighter knit as brothers in Christ For the sake of the inheritance of Christ We have been called to oversee.

2. Elders Pay Careful Attention To The Flock (v28a)

Like I said before, Elders must know their flock. They must notice the ones who have submitted themsleves to the church and care for them. Jesus showed us this best. Yes he did good works for many people, but his care first and foremost, and the majority of his time was spent with his disciples.

Elders have a pulse on their people. They should be listening to struggles, and victories. They should be seeking to remember important details they can pray for and following up with them. Which on the flipside means, you should have some sort of relationship with at least one elder… You want them to know you, and pray for you, and be there when you need them… Elders should see to it that the widows are cared for, and the fatherless are tended to. Not that they have to do this work themselves, but they bear the responsibility of managing it and making sure it is being done.

They should desire to know how the chruch thinks about this doctrine or that one so that they can know where they are at and what kind of teaching needs to be done. But it is a hard task. Someone who wants an easy job in the church should not be an elder. It is not a prestigious position, noble yes, but Burdensome at times. Heavy at others. Consuming most always. But what is at stake?

3. Elders Shepherd The Church of God (v28c)

Elders not only care for their flock, but shepherd them. They follow the lead of their shepherd and lovingseek to train the people of God in all righteousness. To shepherd is to walk with them and lead them through the terrain ahead. Why? Because the wolves are coming. Because we are battered or lulled to sleep by an enemy on every side. The sheep not only need cared for. They need fed. And our office as elders is not to make sure you have adequate food at luncheons… Our office is not to make sure you are the most comfrtable and having the most fun. Our office is to feed you the word of God which your soul desperately needs if you want to hold on to Christ and grow in Him as you walk through the trials ahead of you. Elders, it is not you who will secure your peoples salvation, people, it is not your elders who will secure your salvation. Christ has done that through your blood. But my friends, we need all the help we can get to safely naviagte the road ahead. The office of elder is a grace to the church, may we treat it this way for the sake of Christ.

Lets pray…