Overwatchers and Table Servers
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
Patient spilled some water on the floor
Had trouble moving around, asked a nurse to clean
Policy = big spills are for housekeeping dept.
Small spills are for nurses
Nurse called housekeeping, said it was small
The two argued and amazed the patient
Grabbed a pitcher and dumped
“Is that a big enough puddle now for you two to decide?”
We want responsibility, but don’t want to handle it
Or we don’t know how
This week, 2 main offices of the local church
Start with responsibilities, then duties
YouVersion: Overwatchers and Table Servers
In in your bible
The first is an “elder”
In Greek, episkopos
epi = over and skopos = watcher
Literally overwatcher, or we might say, overseer
Just like in the game “Overwatch”
Group assigned to protect and keep peace
Elders, or overseers have similar responsibilities
A study of , , and show us something
In addition to elder, we have presbyter, shepherd, overseer, pastor and bishop
All mean the same
No biblical distinction between elder and pastor
Our church distinguishes for our purposes
Pastors are vocational elders - Mark Friday, Tim Brown and myself
Elders can be, but are also lay elders like Cameron Easley and Doug Chamberlain
Interesting dynamic = Pastorally, Mark Friday is my subordinate
Pastorally, Mark Friday is my subordinate
Again, that’s CrossPoint structure
However, as elders we are equal
When we sit down as elders, we decide things equally
Let’s jump to text
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
What is this “noble task?”
What does an elder do?
Responsibilities of an elder
Responsibilities of an elder
Elders role is best understood by title “shepherd”
She
1. Elders lead the church
1. Elders lead the church
2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
2. Elders teach and preach
2. Elders teach and preach
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
3. Elders protect the church
3. Elders protect the church
17 Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him.
29 I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30 and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.
4. Elders encourage and correct the saints
4. Elders encourage and correct the saints
Exhort means to encourage
Again Titus 1
28 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.
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
5. Elders pray for the church
5. Elders pray for the church
14 Is anyone among you sick? Let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord.
6. Elders pray for the Church
6. Elders pray for the Church
Notice the big “C”
4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
6. Elders settle disputes in the church
6. Elders settle disputes in the church
6 The apostles and the elders were gathered together to consider this matter.
It’s clear this in an important role for the church
She
21 When they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, 22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. 23 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.
Some are “official,” some are “pastoral”
Last week, Paul says women shouldn’t hold positions of authority
Now he says, not just any man is qualified either
Gender alone is not a qualification
What are the qualifications?
Qualifications for an elder
Qualifications for an elder
2 things to notice
All but one qualification is subjective
All require judgments about a person
No specific financial requirements
No specific educational requirements
No specific achievement requirements
No specific experience requirements
These traits point to Godly character
No specific educational requirements
No specific achievement requirements
No specific experience requirements
Before we go on, understand this...
Last week said today is about men
Seems like it’s about leadership
It is, BUT...
These are leadership qualifications for a reason
God wants Godly men leading His church
SO… these are guidelines for ALL Godly men!
Also, let’s look at Ephesians:
22 Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior.
eph 5:
Men are leaders in their home
If God has requirements for church leaders...
Wouldn’t He expect the same for household leaders?
Let’s see what that looks like...
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
ABOVE REPROACH:
Your Bible might say “blameless”
Doesn’t mean pastors have to be perfect
Literally, “nothing to take hold upon”
Means nothing in their life someone could use to attack the church
THE HUSBAND OF ONE WIFE:
Last week said today is about men
Only specific, measurable qualification
Literally translated, one-woman man
Seems like it’s about leadership
Some churches say second wife, never a pastor… Ever!
It is, BUT...
The reason these are qualifications for leaders, is be
Ever!
28 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.
Doesn’t matter a non-believer, wife died and remarried, or a Biblical divorce
Some it doesn’t matter if you’re single!
At Crosspoint, we believe this is speaking about the context of your relationship with God
Since you have known Christ, have you been a one woman man?
Why stand in presence of God, but not a leader in church?
Crosswalk church
Pastor admitted to affair with worship director
Refused to step down - against his wife’s wishes
Went from 350 to 50
Caused A LOT of pain!
These things do happen
But this is NOT the reputation of the church!
If a regular church attender, 12.5% less likely to have affair...
Unless you’re a pastor
28 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.
That’s twice as much as non-pastors!
acts
Then 23.8% more likely
There are temptations and struggles in ministry
That’s why you need the right men to lead
SOBER-MINDED:
Someone who thinks clearly
Level-headed, not making a joke out of everything
Humor covers a multitude of sins
We need men who understand the gravity of situations
SELF-CONTROLLED:
Your Bible might say “temperate”
Means not given to extremes
Jesus was the most balanced ever
He gives and takes away, He rebukes and commends, He speaks to crowds and gets alone with the Father...
Elders are to do the same
RESPECTABLE:
Your Bible might say “Of good behavior”
Same word we talked about last week, “modest”
For women to dress in “modesty”
Not drawing attention and not being better than
HOSPITABLE:
Willing to open their home to friends and strangers
Offering to help people who need it
Southern hospitality
Bring you a meal, but won’t sit down and enjoy it with you
Elders need to do both
ABLE TO TEACH:
Had an elder friend who leaned on this one
I will never teach
The requirement is to be able to...
I can, I just don’t want to
I don’t think the church should buy in to that technicality
Elders are responsible for the teaching of the church
Remember
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
It is a responsibility to teach, so we will do it
Back to our verse
DON’T READ!!!!
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
NOT A DRUNKARD:
Drinking alcohol of itself is not a sin
Being drunk is sinful...
Elders cannot get sloshed all the time!
NOT VIOLENT, BUT GENTLE:
We are supposed to let God fight for our cause
Therefore elders are not violent
That means publicly, and also in private
We are to be lovers of peace
NOT QUARRELSOME:
If you know church govt., you know this is not always the case
I refuse to be a part where elders are just meeting holders and judges
A couple that fought everything
That’s why I believe an elder led church is the most biblical
If congregationally led, everyone has an equal say regardless of their spiritual maturity
If elder led, we trust Godly men that meet these qualifications
NOT A LOVER OF MONEY:
We all hear about prosperity gospel preachers
Huge mansions, expensive suits and private jets...
One famous pastor comes to my mind
Net worth is $27 million
Here is a direct quote from him...
I verified the source because I couldn’t believe a pastor would say this
“Well, you need to hear about money, because you ain't gonna have no love and joy and peace until you get some money! You gotta get some money.”
He also said,
“We established last night that you are not whole until you get your money. You aren’t whole until you get your dough.”
That is NOT meeting the requirements of a pastor!
Why? If you serve the God of heaven, money cannot be your god too...
Your Bibles may also include covetous there
This takes it beyond money
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
MANAGE HIS HOUSEHOLD WELL
Found ourselves raising a 14 year old who just lost both parents
Turned 18, dropped out of school, moved in with boyfriend (she just met)
I didn’t know if my household was in order
She left because your house is in order
Plus a lot of her habits were established 14 years before you tried to help
Why was this important to me?
A man’s love for God must be lived out in his own home FIRST
28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, 30 because we are members of his body. 31 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Everything Christ did for the church, elders must do for their families
Not as elders, because God says its for ALL married men
How did Christ love the church?
He gave His life for her
He sacrificed comforts for her
1 timothy
He protects her
He LOVES her
And he did all these things not expecting her to do it first
Marriage counseling often goes like this
He doesn’t love me well!
She doesn’t respect me well!
If he loved me, I would respect him!
If she respected me I would love her!
Solution? Man goes FIRST!
That’s not fair!
I’m sure the women heard some things last week that weren’t fair too...
Being the leader doesn’t just mean the fun parts
It means the challenging parts too...
Household applies to parenting too
I look at myself all the time and think, “I’m turning into my dad!”
Why? Because people mimic what they see
If you live as a Godly man, you kids will learn from this
If you treat your wife well, they learn to treat others well
That’s one reason you need to keep your marriage first
Some couples put their children first
Airplane oxygen masks
Put yours on first
Dead parent can’t help their kids
A dead marriage can’t help the kids either
How many divorces happen after kids leave the home?
Think the kids didn’t notice your bad marriage?
You put your marriage on the back burner, you do damage
How many divorces happen after kids leave the home?
People confuse priority with exclusivity
Your marriage comes first, doesn’t mean your kids don’t come ever
Care for the people who care for your kids… YOU!
That way you’re in a place to best care for your kids
NOT A RECENT CONVERT
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
NOT A RECENT CONVERT
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Why don’t rookie QB’s get the big contracts?
Why don’t rookie QB’s get the big contracts?
No one knows how good they are going to be
Likewise, we don’t give new converts opportunities to lead the church
The risk is pride
Interestingly enough, that’s the same sin that Satan fell into
Paul then goes further
WELL THOUGHT OF BY OUTSIDERS
Your bible might say he must have a “good testimony”
Remember that we exist in this world to reach outsiders
Therefore, the men who lead should be in a position to reach them
Doesn’t mean you agree with everyone or compromise God
It means you live out a good reputation with God
Then there’s another main office in the local church
We call them deacons or deaconesses
Responsibilities of a deacon(ess)
Responsibilities of a deacon(ess)
We only have one deaconess at our church - Candi Hallam
We believe that women can be deacons at CrossPoint
There are a few reasons why
Phoebe seems to be a deaconess
1 I commend to you our sister Phoebe, a servant of the church at Cenchreae,
The word “servant” is the same word for deacon, diakonos (die-ack-cone-noce)
diakonos
2. The direct translation of 1 Timothy 3:11
2. The direct translation of
11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
“Their wives” could also be, ‘the women”
If so, Paul would say, “the men deacons blah blah blah”
Then, “the women deacons blah blah blah”
3. The early church supported female deacons
The first 500 years of Christianity included references to female deacons
Clement of Alexandria, Origen of Alexandria, John Chrysostom, Epiphanius of Salamis, Basil of Caesarea, Gregory of Nyssa....
Also the Didascalia of the Apostles, the Council of Nicea and the Council of Chalcedon
The earliest was just 50 years after the Apostle John died
So, what do deacons do?
1. Deacons serve the church
1. Deacons serve the church
What? That’s pretty general
I think we best understand deacons by learning about how they were created
The church was distributing to widows
Greeks felt the Hebrews were getting more and complained to the elders
2 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. 3 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. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”
The first deacons (literally table servants) stepped up and handled the distribution of goods for the widows
Deacons do the dirty work so elders can devote themselves to what we talked about before
In reality, we have a lot of people here are a deacons without the title
That may be something we reexamine in the future...
Let me get settled in first!
We have people like Jessica Belsely with the food pantry, Marci Nohl with Flower Power, Chad Oberle with the security team, Jack Ford with the Ushers, all of the Life Group leaders, even Marshall could be...
Deacons are servants with a responsibility to get things done in church to free up the elders to be elders
Qualifications of a deacon
Qualifications of a deacon
We’ll move quick because deacons and elders have similar qualifications
1 tim 3:8-13
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
Notice the similarities to elders
1 tim 3:
Dignified is respectable
Double tongued is new, just means they are honest,
The wine thing is the same
Greediness and the love of money are the same
Let them be tested means their not recent converts
Blameless is the same...
The the women echo a few more
Dignified is close to respectable, double tongued is new, just means they are honest, the wine thing is the same and
Sober-minded is the same, not greedy is not a lover of money, f
Double tongued is new, just means they are honest
Then managing households is the same...
Then there’s a real difference here
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
Back up to verse 9
They must HOLD the mystery of the faith
Notice what it doesn’t say: TEACH it
Deacons live their faith, elders live AND teach their faith
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. 4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, 5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? 6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. 7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain. 9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless. 11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well. 13 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.
Then Paul gives the result:
13 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.
This is important...
The tasks that we see as menial in the church are not useless
Performing small tasks for God will put you in good standing with Him!
MEN - Maybe you’ll never be an elder, deacon or head of household
WOMEN - Maybe you’ll never be a deaconess or a wife
WOMEN - Maybe you’ll never be a deaconess
All of us should strive to be Godly people
God just wants you to live out His glorious purpose for your life with everything you have from Him!
Closing
Closing
When God called me into ministry, it was hard
Money, pastor’s wife, schooling, learning people’s names...
Wrestle with your calling
But don’t wrestle with God
If you’re not an elder or deacon, love them
We are here to help you honor God in your lives