Servant Leaders

Church Building--

Servant Leaders

Intro: George Washington was unanimously elected prediction both of his terms. it was a little different with only members of Congress voting at the time but 69 people all cast their votes for the same man. Washington had performed his duties as the General of the Army and led the country to victory against the world’s premier military. But does leading in one area, Ike the military, equate to leading well in other realms like politics or church? How do we know someone is a good leader? Is it just enough to get things done or is there more to being a Godly leader? How do you become a good and Godly leader?

In Ephesus, with Paul not being able to stay and lead the church, he knew the answer to these questions and more importantly he had Timothy in mind as a person who also answer to these questions. The next step in the Church’s growth, both at Ephesus ad actually all around the region of Asia and Europe is a transition in the change of hands from the first generation leadership to the second generation.

Read Verses:

MP: God selects and trains overseers and servants to perform specific functions within the local church

I. God Selects and Trains Overseers to Teach

In his letter, Paul is now moving on to explain what traits and expectations Timothy should look for in leaders. This is important for few Reasons. 1) Timothy is either picking his leadership team in the one central Church of Ephesus or 2) he is going gone identifying leaders in the possible house churches in and around Ephesus. So Timothy is either functioning asa senior pastor or overseer or he is functioning sort of like what we call a director of missions. We don’t have a any church minutes from their business meetings so it is hard to know exactly how things were setup.In the early church the overseer or bishops were given an area to care for.

Paul transitions from some general expectations of men and women and into specifics of actual offices. The first office Paul talks about is the “overseer” or supervisor, which literally episkope, which is where Episcopalian comes from and is usually translated as a bishop, or pastor. Paul uses the terms for elders and overseers interchangeably, in the letter to Timothy and the similar letter he writes to Titus. Also, in , Luke uses or quotes Paul talking to the elder of Ephesus that they are overseers of their flocks.

Now as time went on, the term bishop became an official position in a hierarchy and probably after the reformation, that word is not used very often in Protestant churches. So we use the terms elders or the term for pastor which means to shepherd or lead. There are a few ways to structure the church you can have one pastor, a multitude of pastors or elders., usually in our churches it i seen as the assistant pastor, youth pastors, children’s pastor and worship pastor. Having several elders would be advisable because they can share the leadership responsibilities and duties, and if one person leaves at some point, there is less of a chance of having a hole in the leadership structure. Given our current state, it is tempting to grab the next person that walks in that could fulfill some for the requirements throw him into an open slot to say we have a position. When we do that though we look desperate and we put the church at danger.

But not anyone is fit to lead or as Paul makes the distinction, that links chapter two with chapter three, that they must be able to teach. (CSB): 2 An overseer, therefore, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, self-controlled, sensible, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not an excessive drinker, not a bully but gentle, not quarrelsome, not greedy. 4 He must manage his own household competently and have his children under control with all dignity. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of God’s church?) 6 He must not be a new convert, or he might become conceited and incur the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Furthermore, he must have a good reputation among outsiders, so that he does not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.

You can use this list and go through the Bible to find men that are in the position of leadership and when they do well and when they fall short of overseeing God’s people. Moses and Daniel come to mind first,

Application: As a Church, we must be aware of and hold accountable the leaders that God has appointed.

As Baptists, this is doubly important because we do not have any governing body sending our church a pastor, like the Presbyterians, Methodists, the orthodox church or catholics. We can rely on the Association to help,but literally it is up to the congregation.

This comes down to us asking questions Can he teach? Is he hard to get along with, which takes care of a few of what Paul lists out as being a bully or quarrelsome and hospitable. How does he lead his family and do they respect him . iIs he always out drinking. Is he well respected in the community, in his job, if he has a secular job or maybe his last church.

For the husband of one wife, this could mean that he was not a polygamist and it is proven to be either not divorced or at least proven that he is faithful to his wife. Some churches take this to mean the candidate cannot be divorced at all. and some take this to mean he cannot be single., which would disqualify Paul because he was not married and actually said stay single if you can handle it. It would be wise to question him on why he is divorced, what the causes were was it a biblically warranted divorce or was it the cause of him being unfaithful with another woman. As a church we need to have these conversations and make sure what our understanding is.

there is only one person who is perfect all the time and that is Jesus. The rest of us have the capacity through the working of the Holy Spirit to get us up to this level of What Paul s looking for in a leader. many of the pastors in churches meet these and live to these requirements everyday. Sometimes, some. Pastors of big churches and little churches fall all the time. Some we hear about and others we don’t. But we must offer grace to them all. That does not mean we offer them all jobs.

TS: The oversees must be Christlike, able to teach and teachable. They help move the church forward but they can't do and should not do all the work that it takes to be the body of Christ, there must be people who serve in different capacities.

II. God Selects and Trains Deacons to Serve

In verse 8 Paul shifts from overseers or pastors to the next position, one of a servant. (NAS): 8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain,

9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.

10 These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.

11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things.

12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.

13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.

I have read from the New American Standard Version because I believe this is more accurate in rendering the words for men and women/husbands and wives. If you notice some of the criteria is similar to the overseers. The one glaring missing qualification s that deacons do not have to be able to teach. Their office is not dependent on teaching others. it does not mean they cannot possess the gift of teaching, but it is not necessary to be a deacon.

The office of deacon was first established in the Jerusalem church in response to the growing needs of the congregation (). Although the seven officers chosen were not called “deacons” (diakonos), the job for which they were chosen was “to deacon.”

Part of it is that if the Elders are management or military officers, then the deacons are the laborers or the Non commissioned officers. They are the ones who get things done and are in more regular contact. this does not mean that the elders do nothing. Because the elders should be circulating and taking care of people as well. By to coincide with the situation in where the deacons were distributing food on a daily basis and the elders wee teaching; both groups are working, it s just they are working on different things.

Paul talks about deacons having good personal qualities, spiritual qualities and be mature in their Christian life, which al says they must be tested.

In verse 11 Paul brings in women or wives, depending on the translation. it is the same Greek word and this causes the question to be raised. The use of Women makes sense here verses wives or their wives because now you are other implying the men must be married or you are making it so their wives are now subject to certain criteria so their husbands can serve. There Are records from the 1800s of SBC churches that had women deacons.

Both the overseers and deacons can be married. Here is what does not make sense.Paul puts more emphasis on the office of teachers and teaching and overseers than the office of deacon, so why the extra criteria on the deacons wives, yet there is no mention of the wife of an elder who would be responsible for much more as the wife of an overseer, she would be more in the public eye than a deacon’s wife.

What I think that Paul is doing is giving some women specific guidelines because women can be deacons as well. He mentions several women such as Phoebe and Priscilla being servants. women are better equipped to serve and help in some situations, especially because its is nonstops about. Doling out food but ministering to people’s needs. Women see things differently and they will experience this that men will not. It’s not that men cannot help, but some situations like, being a wife and mother, miscarriages, birth and raising children, dealing with rape or trust of men issues may be better and more helpful coming from another woman.

Just like being a husband and father is better understood by men. Men and women have been given different talents, skills and abilities to compliment each other. And i would hope that if the situation warranted it that the husband and wife both serve as deacons and they go to minister to other couples.

Application: The church most honestly decide who can be deacons and what their roles will be.

Here is what usually happens and why many baptist churches say women cannot be deacons because the deacon board functions as elders and thus carry an authority that cannot be extended to women because of teaching and ruling. This is unhealthy and unbiblical. it cuts out a necessary component of the church body, women and limits their capacity to exercise their biblical gifts.

How will our church look at the Bible and what Paul is saying, and really what is God saying about people in His kingdom and how and where he wants them to work

III. God Selects and Trains the workers to accomplish the Mission of the church

In verse 14 Paul reminds Timothy why he is doing things and the importance of selecting the correct people to fulfill the offices of the church.

(CSB): I write these things to you, hoping to come to you soon. 15 But if I should be delayed, I have written so that you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth. 16 And most certainly, the mystery of godliness is great: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated in the Spirit, seen by angels, preached among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory

This is a very simple reminder of what the church is about or should be about. Our mission is to spread the word about Jesus.Which is done by teaching and serving.To of the things that Jesus did the most in his earthly ministry. See in one person, Jesus was able to do everything, but for us, it takes many people to do these two jobs.

Conclusion:

We are all serving God, it is just in different capacities. some are equipped to oversee the church and to lead it and do the main teaching. Others are meant to serve in more than just a cursory way, serving the church in more ways than just helping out on Sunday morning. they do it because we all serve the Living God and we preach Christ crucified.

We as the local church get to decide what we do to spread the gospel. Like any builder we must follow the architect's blueprints because he has put walls or doors in the correct places to hold the building up so it doesn’t collapse.What we are in control of is the paint, flooring, furniture and the cosmetics of the building.

People may ask us why we chose a color over one and we should have an answer, but we can also help them understand why the building or church is constructed the way it is.

Sometimes we get people that ar elike George washigton. he is a geat leader and everyone loves him. other time it may take awhile to teach and mentor and wait for the leader or servant to grow into the position. It is our job to know when they are ready and place them into positions that fit their abilities.

Action: