Sermon Tone Analysis

*#5   Leadership: Turtle on the fence post, *

*God’s Provision*

*Text:*          Eph.

4: 11 – 16   I Tim.

4: 6 - 16

*Introduction: *

          One of the God’s gifts to the Church is the gift of leaders.

God placed them in the Church to build the body.

I call them “gift-people” who out of ordinary are appointed by God to play important roles.

They are just like a turtle on the fence post.

*Illustration:*

In the office of a CEO in a big corporation, there hangs a beautiful picture of a pastoral scene.

The ray of the warm sun shines through the magnificent oak tree making a contrast between the shade it creates and the heat on the other side.

There in the center of the picture in the shadow are the fence posts.

When you look carefully, there is a brown turtle on the one of the fence post.

He ordered this picture from his artist friend.

Any time when he feels proud of his accomplishment he watches that turtle on the fence post.

Every time his friends and subordinates admire his accomplishment he points to the turtle on the fence post and say to them, “it is God who put me there.”

Such is the position of the church leaders.

Our God is a good God who *cares* for His Community.

It is God who put leaders in the church community.

The origin of the Church is *from* God and its final consummation is *to* God.

Meantime we are engaged in the *process*.

That is the Mission of the Church.

We *should* *be* the community of God under His reign to reflect the unity of the Trinity.

It is the *work* of God’s *grace* for us that we can *engage* in this Mission.

In all this, the Trinity is the *foundation* of the Church.

The Trinity was involved in the beginning of the Church (Eph. 1) and it is *involved* very deeply at the *present*.

This God, Three in One, provided another provision for His Church so that the community can *pursue* the Mission of the Church.

Let’s open our Bible to *Eph.

4* verse *7*.

“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift”.

God gave His Spiritual gift to each member of the community.

Paul *affirms* that we all have gifts of one kind or another.

There is no exception.

This is based on Christ’s *incarnation* and *glorification* (*4:8-10*) who became the *victor* over all things.

This *exalted* Savior, our Lord, is the one who has *empowered* His community with various *gifts* through His grace so that this community truly *grows* as His body to *show* the world who God really is.

But in this passage, Paul is not talking about the spiritual gifts for the each believer but Christ */made/* some to be the gifts to His Church.

These people are *given* to the body for *special* purpose.

Those people who are made gifts to the Church are: Apostles, *Prophets*, Evangelists and *Pastor*-*teachers* (Vs.

11).

These “gift-people” are God’s *provisions* for His community so that the Community *functions* as He designed it to be.

Now, we will not go into whether these gift-people actually exist in the Church at present, especially Apostles, but this much we *can* *say* that God *gave* these “gift-people” “for the *equipping *(Katartismon)  of the saints for the work of *service* (diakonia), to the building up of the body of Christ” (vs.

*12*).

The word “equipping” (Katartismon) is also used in *Matt*.

*4:21*, “...and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, /mending/ (Katartismon) their nets; and he called them.”

Here the word which is translated as “*mending*” is the same ward as “*equipping*.”

Also in *Gal 6:1*, “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should *restore* (Katartismon) him gently.

But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

It literally means, “*putting** in order*.”

These are the people whose senses are trained and able to discern the spiritual matter in their giftedness.

“because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil” (*Heb.

**5:14*).

They *know* the purpose of the Church and how it should *function* and able to lead the intricate body of Christ to full health so that the body can function as God intended.

In the real world, there are a lot of accidents which are preventable if we know how to fix the problems.

*Illustration*:

An *intricate* machine broke down, halting production in a busy factory.

All the company’s best *machinists* were called in to *diagnose* the trouble, but to no avail.

* *It was *suggested* that a *specialist*, a master mechanic, be brought in.

He came, looked the *apparatus* over, and asked for the smallest *hammer* on hand.

He then *pecked* on a critical area, and said,

“Now, turn on the power.

It ought to work.”

It *did*.

Later, when he sent a bill for $100, the top brass were astounded at the *exorbitant* fee.

They wrote, asking him to send an *itemized* statement, which he did, without *reducing* the amount.

The itemized version read: 

     “$1 for pecking, $99 for knowing where to peck.”

            (Paul Lee, Tan, “/Encyclopedia of 7,700 Illustrations/,” Garland, Texas: Bible           

                    Communications, Inc. 1996, CD version)

These “gift-people” know where to *peck* and have a good *grasp* of the body and the anatomy.

They *know* spiritual *dynamics *of the church; *strength* and weaknesses, *issues* and difficulties, *direction* and visions, each gift of the members and the purpose of the body.

They are able to *see* why God placed each member in the body.

They possess *skills* and *understanding* how to utilize the gift of each member.

*Dwight Eisenhower* once said, “Leadership is the art of *getting* someone else to do something that you *want* done because he *wants* to do it.”

Isn’t it good!

These leaders *demonstrate* the qualities in *4:2*; *humility*, gentleness, *patience* and forbearance which are needed in the community of God.

They *motivate* people by being example to the people, *inspiring* them to the work of the ministry rather than *persuading* and *coaxing* them.

*Marshall Jones* said, “A good leader inspires other men with confidence */in/*/ *him*/; a great leader inspires them with confidence */in/*/ *themselves*/.”

And I say, “The great Christian leaders inspire the people with confidence *in the Lord*.”

In *I Tim.

4* verses *6 to 16*, Paul *exhorts* young Timothy to be a godly leader and *lists* 7 qualities as */characteristics of the good leaders/*.

Take some time to go over; it would be a very interesting study.

Let’s look at them very briefly.

Using Dr. *MacArthur’s* outline.

1.

*The good leaders confront the false teaching (I Tim.

4:6a)*.

“In pointing out these things” Paul said.

It is the responsibility of the leaders to protect the community from false teaching.

There are so many information in the world and many Christians are confused about the Truth.

2.

Secondly, *the good leaders study the word of God*, “constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following” (*4:6b*).

This is the most *vital* characteristic of the leaders who *aspire* to know God’s will thus lead the community by the good, acceptable and perfect will of God.

If the church is the *pillar* of the truth, the leaders must know what the Scripture teaches and able to apply its principles.

3.    Thirdly, *the good leaders pursue personal godliness*, “discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness” (*4:7*).

This discipline is not for self-glorification or self-righteousness but it is the *demonstration* of God’s grace in their lives to be examples for the community.

4.

Fourthly, *the* *good leaders welcome the hard work*, “For it is for this we labor and strive  (ajgwnivzomai: Agonizomai)” (*4:10*).

The word “*strive*” comes from a Greek word “*agonizomai*” which the *English* word “agony” comes from.

Leaders are to agonize to care for the community and do everything to foster the community to prepare her to be a pure bride for Christ.

5.

Fifthly, *the good leaders teach and prescribe the truth faithfully*, “Prescribe and teach these things” (*4:11*).

Not for the personal gain but for the glory of God. 

6.

Sixthly, *the good leaders model what they preach*, “show yourself example of those who believe” (*4:12*).

This is the true *authenticity* which the community can follow.

This is the actual *demonstration* of the living Word.

Teaching is important, preparation is important but those are just half of the task God has entrusted to the leaders and the other half is *modeling*.