1 Tim 3:1-7
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Football: Every position requires different skills/abilities: QB, LB, DB, WR, TE, Center
Wouldnt put me as a LB or Center, what would you put?
God has designed each role as his church with special qualifications = not everyone can be QB or LB, but everyone on the team works together for the goal
So the church hierarchy works together
Background:
Paul’s continuous message to Tim: wage the good warefare! Protect the Gospel and equip the Church
Last chapter we learned that the church should pray for all people in leadership so there may be peace, and that there must be organization when it comes to worship, that woman should not teach or exercise authoirty over a man, but in their God given roles they equip the church
now he turns his face to OVERSEERS
SS: The Overseer is qualified to serve God’s Church through 1) his character, 2) his family, and 3) his community, living as an example of Christ for all Christians to follow.
1 Timothy 3:1–7
Overseer
Overseer
V.1
V.1
Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12:27-28 that every Christian, everyone who believes has a calling to serve the Church! It may be as part of the QB, or the Center, or the LB, but whatever it is, the calling will begin first with aspiration
Overseer = pastor, elder, shepherd and bishop
NT Church = elders (bishop), deacons, laymen
DH, Elders, deacons
This call comes from within, its not for money, or fame, or to honor family legacy, but a fierce call:
This call is a call of Noble Task, it is to the call of whole dedication to the Church, taking from him all unnecessary waste and focusing on giving all to the sheep
Marigold: day and night planting, watering, talking, praying, tarrying, no thanks or congratulations, no consistent sign of success, but absolute joy in its growth, and humility in being used for it
Qualifications for Overseer is high, for these people are called to shepherd the souls of God’s church! If you feel called, this is what is expected! But ladies and those who are not called, dont zone out, this shows the fruit of a mature believer!
1) His Character
1) His Character
V. 2
V. 2
Above Reproach
Above Reproach
Pope: many people believe that the Pope is so holy, to be in his presence is a blessing! They travel the world to see him, they purchase his pics! But hes not perfect or holy! He is a sinner like us, but playing God!
not haughty, not full of himself, but whose conduct and living is unquestionable!
Joe Keller kicks cats! would you believe? No! Conduct, heart for the church and creation is above reproach!
This is not claims of sinlessness, nor perfection, rather a consistent obedient living with accountability from other elders!
Husband of one wife
Husband of one wife
if the person seeks eldership and is married, it must be to one woman
seems obvious today! But extramarital affairs were common!
Roman Culture: married men and concubines
Samson/Saul/David all fell to sin due to lust + concubines
Today:
mormons = polygamy
culture of dating
Let me be clear:
We have forgiveness in the blood of Christ if we are have repented from our sins and followed Jesus! Even You!
Jesus can and does heal marriages that have gone through this!
Every sin we commit has consequences, if a Elder commits this sin, he is called to be removed from office and called to repent. It is then up to the elders to decide if he should be permitted to return to office
Soberminded
Soberminded
Solely focused on the return of Christ, the Church, and the people of God
Bulliet waiting for us to come home: waits by the door, barks when he hears us walking up the steps, leaps for joy that we are finally home Jesus calls every Christian to be soberminded, waiting for His return! Do you wake up each day with heavenly mindset, reading to learn more about your savior, telling people about your waiting king?!
Are you waiting for your messiah, telling others?
To lead by example, the Overseer must be fully soberminded on Christ’s return AND his church
livelihoods, souls, what they need, calling to repentance and walking faithfully!
Self-controlled
Self-controlled
loss to our world, emphasizes feelings over self-control!
Scripture warns us time and time again that we are inherently sinful, and must fight against this sin!
lack of self control? Gollum
“Deep down here (misty mountains) by the dark water lived old Gollum, a small slimy creature. I dont know where he came from, nor who or what he was. He was Gollum –– as dark as darkness, except for two big round pale eyes in his thin face”
similar to the cave, Gollum’s mind was dark, hope, joy and love all gone
Bilbo stumbles into cave
Game of Riddles, B wins he escapes, G wins he eats B
B wins, so obsessed with rage and anger that the ring was gone he tries to kill Bilbo and narrowly escapes!
Years later, Gollum’s lack of self control causes him to bite off Frodo’s finger for the ring, falling to his death in mount doom
You too have felt this lack of self control -> someone calls you stupid and you say your mom! someone pushes you so you push back, your mom tells you to clean your room for the third time and you yell. We are called to self-control! We have forgiveness in Christ and the ability to put to death our sins by follow Jesus!
The pastor must be self-controlled, for many people will come tempting him with anger, frustration, lust, pride, arrogance, but in response to these temptations, he must follow his savior!
Respectable
Respectable
same word Paul uses in 1 Tim 2:9
likewise also that women should adorn themselves in respectable apparel, with modesty and self-control, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly attire,
if it is in clothing, speech, actions, manners, the Pastor must seek be respectable to all, bringing honor to Christ and setting an example for us!
Hospitable
Hospitable
Stimacs/Danielsons:
brought in many christians who needed housing, needed a space for fellowship, to celebrate holidays, to feel like family -> they never shout it to the mountain tops, but give without expecting anything in return
Like Christ who sat with sinners and saints, loved the prostitutes and tax collectors and called them all to repent, so too must the Pastor be hospitable in giving tithes, in hosting, in time, and in love!
Hospitable = Intentional
are you intentional with your allowance and your free time? If your schoolmate is in need, do you ask to pray with them? ask your parents if you can give your allowance or some food to share with? Remember we are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus!
Able to teach:
Able to teach:
horrible chemistry teacher: monotone, read straight from textbook, told you to figure out homework VS Stimac engaged, loved to teach, excited, rewarded, stayed after to help
not everyone can teach
To be an Overseer, must be able to teach
also prerequisite to be theologian = dedicate life to learning the Word
James warns us teachers are responsible for the souls of the church, teach people wrong doctrine, lead astray into sin, or worse, believing in a false Jesus! James 3:1
Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.
Does not mean the elder has to be the David Hegg or Aaron Milers of the world, but they must have the ability to bring God’s word to bear on the congregation!
V.3
V.3
Not a Drunkard
Not a Drunkard
seems to be covered in self-control BUT many have sinned due to over drinking
Noah = after flood gets drunk, his son Ham comes in and makes a mockery of him, God curses Ham’s descendants! Who is that? the Canaanites who ruled the Promise Land until God gave Israel victory over them by Joshua!
Paul warns us to be sober in watching for the lord in 1 Thess 5:6-8
So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.
The Elder and the Christian are not called to be drunk, but sober pilgrims waiting for the return of the Messiah
Not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome
Not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome
Glorify violence = movies like Marvel we see Hulk and we’re like HULK SMASH! couple years ago when an election didnt go their way people rioted, burning down family’s business and shops, I too play video games that are violent like Fortnite, God of War etc! But as Christians we are not called to violence!
The pastor must be mild and gentle as Jesus Himself!
Stood falsely accused, did not throw punches or names, did not call down legion of angels, but in meekness took the unjust punishment on our behalf! Instead he prayed Luke 23:34
And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments.
Are you prone to violence? are you easily angered, easy to hold a grudge? Maybe you have been sinned against! Maybe you have been hurt in ways that you feel noone could ever understand or experience! Maybe your homelife is hard and when you see other families that are all lovey dovey it makes you mad, makes you jealous. Jesus says you must forgive as I have forgiven you… Jesus alone has suffered the most unjust punishment known to man, and he did for you. He alone can help you put down your rage and pick up your cross, all you need to do is repent and run to Him.
Pastors as well as every believer, is called to a life of gentleness and humility, loving others more then themselves
Not a lover of Money
Not a lover of Money
last internal qualification of the elder, the person in question must not be greedy
loving money over God will cause the person to pursue riches over carrying for their Church, to preach sermons that are luke-warm so more people will come and have their ears tickled. They will treat church like an amusement park, where sinners can come, feel good about themselves, and entertain their fancies under the facade of Church.
TV Evangelists: Prosperity Gospel?
proclaim Christ came so they you could live your best life now!
name and claim it!
give enough money, God will bless you with riches and healing
God does not, then you dont have enough faith and you’re not giving enough!
This is not the Gospel! This is a lie from Satan!
Gospel: Christ died for sinners, so that those who believe and pick up their crosses to follow him, may be saved from God’s wrath. While life may be hard, while the world may hate them because they hated Christ, the Christian can take comfort in their savior knowing that this is not their true home, and one day He will return!
Love of money and what we think money could buy cannot be in the Pastor, nor should it be in the Christian, for it leads to a different gospel
2) His Family
2) His Family
V. 4-5
V. 4-5
next qualifications based on family -> With his wife called to be a loving husband who lives sacrificially as Christ did
Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself.
With his children:
Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.
to teach them God’s mercy and kindness night and day through scripture reading, discipling their children while showing them that their sin is not against them only but against God’s law. And always pointing them back to the mercy and grace found in Jesus Christ!
Christian Parents: parents arent perfect, but if you have christian parents who raise you to see God’s law and his grace, you are blessed! I didnt have that, “do as I say and not as I do!” responsbility of every christian parent is to raise them in the teaching of the Lord!
Overseer is not called to be perfect, or have all their children to be Christians because only God can save! Rather, it is the calling for every elder to love their wife as Christ loves the church, and to bring up their family in the teachings of the Lord
3) Conversion and Community
3) Conversion and Community
v. 6-7
v. 6-7
Must not be recent convert
Must not be recent convert
no timeline from Paul, but warns that new converts are puffed up in their position, warned in Prov that:
Pride goes before destruction,
and a haughty spirit before a fall.
Like Christ, the elder must serve lovingly and in humility. In order to properly serve the church, they must be well versed in the deep doctrines of God’s Word, for they are held accountable for their teaching. Newer converts run the risk of both teaching error, and being conceited by thinking they have moved up the spiritual ladder to head boss rather then humbly washing the feet of the church as Jesus did for us
Well thought of by Outsiders
Well thought of by Outsiders
it is crucial that the overseer is well thought of by non-christians.
This is different from being persecuted, for Jesus tells us in Matt 5:10-12 that those who are slandered FASLEY for Christ they will be rewarded
No this is warning against hypocrites, against those who, like the pharisees, are white washed tombs: at Church and among Christians they are loving, above reproach, holy, but outside they are rude, mean, drunkards and fighters
Masters Starbucks VS David Hegg
If you were to ask a non-christian in your life, whether that be a family member or someone at school, would you be happy or ashamed? Guess what! If its ashamed, there is forgiveness in Christ and the ability to change!
The Pastor as well as the Christian, are called to be the salt and light of the world. The elder must not be a recent convert nor known as poorly in the community, but must be above reproach to protect the Church and the proclamation of the Gospel!
Conclusion:
Conclusion:
God is holy God, one who calls His followers to specific rules of how the Church is to be ran, and who is able to serve the Church as an elder!
The Overseer is qualified to serve God’s Church through 1) his character, 2) his family, and 3) his community, living as an example of Christ for all Christians to follow.
Maybe you feel that God is calling you to serve one day as an elder! Tell your parents, tell Matt, that they may pray with you, walk with you, see the fruit of God’s calling in your life, and hold you accountable!
If you are not, God has called all Christians to be above reproach, to protect marriage, to be soberminded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, teach others the Word of God, not a drunkard or violent but gentle! Not a lover of money but able to manage their own home, and be well thought of by the community! But we fall short, we make mistakes, we choose sin over God, yet there is forgiveness in Christ, if we turn from our sins and continue putting to death the deeds of the flesh!
Maybe you’re a little overwhelmed right now, maybe thinking about all these qualifications of a pastor and a mature Christian has you sweating because you’re never that way. Maybe, just maybe, if you faced God today you feel that you wouldnt know if you would get into heaven. Jesus says Come!
Pray