Leading the Fight: Overseers/Elders/Pastors

We have seen that as we walk in obedience to God, we are called to keep the gospel central to our hearts. We fight against those who would teach in ways that would pull people away from Christ, and the main weapon in our arsenal is prayer.

Last week, we saw that men and women have unique challenges and roles in this fight.

We are going to build on that over the next few weeks.

Over the next two weeks, we are going to see how God has established two main categories of church leaders who are to take the lead in the fight.

First, you have what we see here in 1 Timothy 3:1: Overseers. Next week, we will see the qualifications God lays out for the other group of men called to serve the church uniquely in the fight, who we call “deacons.”

Why are we talking about this on a Sunday morning, when, right now, I am the only overseer that this church has? Several reasons:

You need to know what God expects from the men that lead the church so you can pray for us.

You need to know so you can help us stay accountable if you see that we aren’t living up to the qualifications God has set forward. We will see more about that in chapter 5 when we get there.

You also need to know because God may be calling you to serve as an elder or a deacon. These qualifications are pre-requisites, so before you could be considered as a candidate to serve in these areas, your life needs to reflect these qualifications.

Not only that, but these are actually the standard for all believers, so this is a great reminder of what you are called to be as a Christian.

We find several qualifications for an overseer in 1 Timothy 3:1-7, so let’s read that together now.

Let’s talk about the term “overseer” for a minute so we are clear on who this is talking about.

If you have an older translation, it might translate this word as “bishop”.

An overseer is one who is called by God to exercise oversight over the church.

Although we don’t call our leaders “bishops” or “overseers” in this church, that is one term you could use for the role I fill in leading our church.

We believe that the Bible uses the terms “bishop/overseer”, “pastor,” and “elder” to all refer to the same role.

We see them used interchangeably in a similar passage to Titus:

Titus 1:6–7 CSB

An elder must be blameless: the husband of one wife, with faithful children who are not accused of wildness or rebellion. As an overseer of God’s household, he must be blameless: not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money,

Peter also uses the term “elder” and the verb form from which we get the word “pastor” in the same passage:

1 Peter 5:1–2 CSB

I exhort the elders among you as a fellow elder and witness to the sufferings of Christ, as well as one who shares in the glory about to be revealed: Shepherd God’s flock among you, not overseeing out of compulsion but willingly, as God would have you; not out of greed for money but eagerly;

So, then, I am an elder who is called to exercise oversight as I shepherd/pastor the church God allows me to lead.

We will be using those terms interchangeably this morning, so know that overseers = elders = pastors.

So, overseers are called to lead the church in a God-honoring way.

This list, then, is going to give us the qualifications that a man must meet in order to serve the church as an elder/pastor/overseer.

The concern here is less on what the pastor is supposed to do, although that comes up throughout the book of 1 Timothy, and more on who the pastor is supposed to be.

In fact, it is all summed up in the first part of verse 2...

If a man is going to serve as an elder, he must be above reproach.

It isn’t enough simply to want to be an elder, although verse 1 says that is a good thing.

You must live up to the qualifications of an elder for you to serve.

If you catch nothing else this morning, I want you to see this: A pastor/elder/overseer must be above reproach in every aspect of his life.

Now, “above reproach” doesn’t mean that he will have achieved sinless perfection somehow.

Here’s how one commentator describes it:

The Bible Knowledge Commentary 3:2

He must be blameless in his behavior. This Greek word anepilēmpton, “above reproach,” is used in the New Testament only in this epistle (v. 2; 5:7; 6:14). It means to have nothing in one’s conduct on which someone could ground a charge or accusation.

Elders will never be perfect men, but their character should cause them to stand as exemplary men who have integrity that cannot be questioned.

Although this is true of every believer, it is absolutely essential for those whom God has called to lead the church as overseers.

Elders must be above reproach in every area of life.

We can break down the qualifications into at least three different areasin which a man must be above reproach.

This list isn’t exhaustive, but it shows us clearly the kind of character we should expect from a man who serves in this role.

First, we start at the core and see that, if a man desires to be an overseer, he must be above reproach:

1) In his personal life.

Even if a man is a great speaker, a really likable guy, or a hard worker, he cannot be an elder if his life isn’t squared away personally.

Let’s walk through the qualifications of an overseer’s personal life.

By the way, this is where we will spend the bulk of our time this morning.

First, he must be “the husband of one wife”.

This is another tricky phrase that literally says that the pastor must be, “a one woman man.”

We will see this again in the qualifications of a deacon next week, so let’s talk about it now.

Some have said this prohibits polygamy in the ministry, but a polygamist wouldn’t have been considered for leadership in the church in those days, so that doesn’t fit.

Some say that it means he must be a married man, but in 1 Corinthians, Paul makes it clear that it can be an advantage to be single as you serve God.

Historically, we have looked at this passage as saying that a man cannot serve as an elder if he has been divorced and remarried.

The reason for this is that the way a pastor leads his home is evidence of how he will lead the church. We see that clearly in verses 5-6.

Although a man can be forgiven for the sins surrounding the divorce, it reveals a character flaw that disqualifies him from serving in that role.

I am not sure that it is that simple, though.

It is easy to draw the line there and have a clear line of demarcation between who can and can’t serve.

And, it is true that divorce and remarriage can often indicate sinful patterns, ways of thinking, or a lack of discernment that would keep a man from serving well as a pastor.

However, as I have looked through this list, as well as the list for the deacons, I see that every other sin on this list could be something that you could repent of and be restored from.

No one is saying you can’t be forgiven for the sins surrounding a divorce, but I am not sure that it is a clear enough passage to say that there is never a time where a man could serve who had a divorce and demonstrated faithfulness to the Lord and his wife since that time.

The key idea in this is that he is a “one-woman man”; that he is completely faithful to his wife.

There are a lot of ways that a man could be unfaithful to his wife and still be married.

That also means that a man cannot be addicted to pornography and serve as an elder.

His heart could be divided and he could stop pursuing her and trying to love her like Christ loved the church, and when he does, he stops meeting this qualification.

So, could a man who was divorced years ago and has been faithful to his wife ever since serve as a pastor, or possibly a deacon? To be honest, I am not sure. It would be something for us to consider with a lot of prayer and examination.

However we break it out, he must be a one-woman man who is exhibiting a faithful, sacrificial love for his wife.

Not only that, he must be “self-controlled”. The word here has the idea of being “sober-minded”, or "balanced”. He doesn’t lash out, nor does he cower. A man who will be an overseer must be self-controlled.

He must also be “sensible”, which is the idea of being prudent or thoughtful. He displays wisdom in the decisions he makes, not making hasty judgments but thinking of the big picture of who and what will be impacted by the decision.

Those who aspire to become overseers must be “respectable,” which continues the idea of living a disciplined life. The way he acts and leads should reflect an inner stability that is worth imitating. (NAC: 1 Timothy 3:2)

We see that he is also to be “hospitable,” which means he is willing to open his life and his home to others so they can find encouragement and rest.

Although some of these qualifications are found in the list for deacons, the last qualification in verse 2 is unique to pastors. If a man is going to serve as an overseer, he must also be “able to teach”. That doesn’t mean that every pastor or elder will teach every Sunday, but he must be able to communicate God’s Word effectively in a variety of situations.

That also means that every elder must constantly grow in his knowledge and understanding of the Bible. You can’t teach what you don’t know!

Look at verse 3 to see that an elder must not be an excessive drinker.

For us as a church, we have articulated this with our deacons as, “wise concerning the use of alcohol.”

For me, as your pastor, the wisest way I can approach the use of alcohol is to abstain from it. Although there may be a time and place where it is acceptable, it is unwise for me, as your pastor, to drink. Should God call additional elders to serve with us, we would ask them to do the same.

As we continue on, we see that a man who aspires to serve as an elder must also be wise in handling conflict.

He isn’t allowed to be a bully, demanding that others follow him. Instead, he is to demonstrate the same meekness we find in Christ:

2 Corinthians 10:1 CSB

Now I Paul, myself, appeal to you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ—I who am humble among you in person but bold toward you when absent.

There is a difference between meekness and weakness. A meek man is one who knows how to properly exercise his strengths and when to keep them in check.

A weak man cannot be a meek man because he doesn’t have strength that he has to control.

I can’t help but think of this picture:

<<Thor Bjornsson Coffee Mug>> This is a picture of Thor Bjornsson and his wife holding mugs of hot chocolate. For those who don’t know Thor, he holds the following title:

The World’s Strongest Man 2018 2x Arnold Classic Champion 5x Europe's Strongest Man 8x Iceland's Strongest Man

Played “The Mountain” on Game of Thrones

Now, that is a normal, everyday mug in his hands…the thing that looks like a child’s teacup. This, to me, is a great physical picture of meekness. Literally the strongest man in the world, who could crush that cup without batting an eye, and yet he applies just the right amount of force to hold it without breaking it.

Pastor’s aren’t called to be Thor Bjornsson, but we are called to live meekly, not bullying people but responding with appropriate gentleness.

This fits with everything else we have seen so far.

Men who desire to serve as overseers must be living lives that are dialed in and controlled.

That continues when we see that elders are not to be “quarrelsome”.

There is a difference between fighting the good fight of the faith and just starting fights because you can’t get your way.

A godly elder doesn’t fight over small things. He knows what is important and engages in the battle when necessary.

That self-control shows itself in one final aspect of his personal holiness: elders cannot be greedy.

Literally, this word says that he cannot have “a love of silver”. Paul will pick this theme back up in chapter 6, but no pastor should ever do what he does for the money.

Do you want to serve as an overseer? Then first make sure your personal life is squared away.

It doesn’t stop there, though. Not only do you have to be above reproach personally, you must also be above reproach...

2) In his home.

Read verses 4-5 with me again.

A pastor’s personal life must show in the way his family responds.

The way they respond will demonstrate whether the elder truly lives out all the personal qualities required of him.

It is like we mentioned last week: Dad, your wife and kids would know whether or not you are an angry man at home. The same is true of an elder.

This doesn’t mean that a pastor’s children will be perfect. They are still children! You should be able to tell in the way they respond to their dad, though, whether or not he is leading his family well, especially when the children are young.

As we have talked about, if an overseer is level-headed, sensible, and respectable, it will show in the way he disciplines his children and helps equip them to follow Jesus on their own.

Why does that matter? Because the way a pastor leads at home is the way he will lead at church.

If he isn’t leading his family well, then that is a red flag that he may not be well equipped to lead the church.

However, his loving leadership of his family can be a good indicator that he will lovingly lead the church God calls him to serve.

The ripples of his personal walk with God will show up in his leadership of his family.

That isn’t where they stop, though.

If he is going to live above reproach, that must carry out beyond himself and his home and into...

3) In the outside world.

Look back at verses 6-7.

There is no minimum age or time limit given for a man to serve as an elder, but we do see that he needs to have a proven track record before he can serve this way.

God has given pastors tremendous responsibilities, and with that are some incredible privileges.

There are times when you God works through you to see people changed for eternity as they put their faith in Christ. You have the privilege of shaping those who sit under you, every week, helping them to see Jesus better.

You see God work more powerfully in more lives than most people do, so if you aren’t watching yourself, it is incredibly easy to start thinking that you deserve the credit for what has happened. People commend you for a great message or are so incredibly grateful for how you did this or that thing for them. If you let your guard down, you can easily think you are the best thing since sliced bread.

Men who have walked with Christ for a while have a better understanding that anything good that happens through my life or ministry is because of God’s grace. It is still a temptation that seasoned pastors get tripped up by, but the pressure can often be too much for a new convert.

Then, we see one last qualification given: those who desire to be elders must have a good reputation with people outside the church.

What do your neighbors think of you? What would your co-workers say if you told them you thought God might be calling you to be an elder?

You cannot live one way at church and another way at work and expect to be qualified to serve as an elder.

This isn’t saying that everyone outside the church will be glad you are a pastor. Some people hate Jesus, so they will hate you for being an overseer. Some people think it is a waste of your talent or that you are imbecile.

We aren’t talking about that kind of abuse.

Those who don’t yet follow Christ may not like that you are going to be a pastor, but, bringing it full circle, your life that you have lived around them has been above reproach, so they can’t find any reason to accuse you.

That’s what happened with Jesus, wasn’t it? The religious leaders wanted to kill him, but they couldn’t find an accusation that would stick:

Mark 14:55 CSB

The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for testimony against Jesus to put him to death, but they could not find any.

In fact, Jesus really is the only one who is above reproach.

As I looked through this list this week, I saw many areas where I need to let God work more deeply in my own life and heart.

That’s why, although God has called me to pastor/oversee this church, I am so grateful that I am not this church’s savior.

The only one who can truly save is the one who was so blameless that he didn’t deserve to die.

Yet, out of love for us and as he fought against the effects of sin to show himself as the King over all creation, he took my sin upon himself, took my accusations, and died in my place.

As the King, he conquered death and rose from the grave so that I could share in his life and his righteousness.

No pastor is going to heaven because he is perfect or because he has done such a good job a shepherding the church. He is only going to heaven if he has placed his trust in Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection.

Although I will never be perfect, as your pastor, I will seek to grow in living out each of these attributes more and more as the years go by.

That may leave you with a question, though: Why is it so important that the pastor meet these qualifications?

I mean, c’mon…if a guy is a good preacher, or if he is really likable when he comes to pray with you at home or the hospital, or if he casts a compelling vision for the future, what’s the big deal if he doesn’t exactly match everything on this list?

Because of what we find at the end of verse 7.

Overseers who don’t live up to these qualifications leave themselves and God’s household exposed and vulnerable to disgrace and defeat.

Tie that into the context. Isn’t that what we saw in 1 Timothy 2:14? When Adam gave up his role and didn’t lead like he should have, it left Eve exposed to temptation and all of humanity fell.

In a similar way, when God’s men, who are called by his grace to lead his church, fail to maintain these standards of holiness, they leave themselves and the church open for defeat.

We like to think of the pastor sometimes as the quarterback, but here, he is the offensive lineman. If he misses his block, he leaves the quarterback or the running back wide open to take the hits.

So, let me remind you of what I said in the beginning of the message:

Pray for me and my family. Pray for the other pastors and elders you know.

Graciously let me know if you see areas where I can improve.

If you believe God may call you to serve as an elder/pastor/overseer, either here or at another church, pray that God will give you the strength to become the man you need to be to lead the church well.