Untitled Sermon (12)

Introduction

The first thing that I want to draw out of this text is more of an implication from the text than an obvious statement. The positions of Elder and Deacon imply that there is a church. This seems obvious, right? So, why is that so important. It is important because underneath our text this morning is the assumption that there will be a church, made of of Christians, that we use these qualifications to select their leadership.

You may have come here this morning, and after reading the passage decided that this sermon has nothing to do with you. So, for the next 30 minutes you will kick back and relax. There are three reasons why I think you should sit up and pay attention.

1. All scripture is from God and is useful (2 Tim 3:16)

2. You have the duty to select leaders.

3. You have the responsibility to select good leaders.

Therefore, before we explore the qualifications for pastors and deacons I want to make sure we understand a very important thing, church participation is necessary for a healthy and righteous selection of church leadership.

Consider the context of 1 Timothy. Paul had sent Timothy to Ephesus because some people were spreading false teachings. Timothy not only had to correct the false teachings, but he also had to set up godly leadership to continue the work in the church. Paul have a similar charge to Titus in the city of Crete.

“This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained in order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.”

Did you catch that? They were to put things in order and appoint elders in every church. Order was necessary, and elders were necessary. But, what about when Timothy and Titus left? How were they to select the next leadership in the church?

In our church we vote on leadership. Specifically, our deacons are chosen from a group of nominated men within our fellowship. In our passage this morning, we are given qualifications for men to serve in those offices of leadership. A startling statistic was brought to my attention while preparing this sermon. In 2020 Barna conducted a study that revealed 2 in 5 christians in America attend two or more churches. Furthermore, statistics show a steady drop in overall church attendance throughout the United States. Post Covid, it is suspected that an unprecedented amount of individuals have left the church, and will never return.

Today across the world after Covid-19 families and individuals have found the connivence of viewing church online without having to see anyone or talk to anyone. I am by no means speaking ill of those that should, for their health, remain distant during this time. But, the numbers are frightening about the potential results of such a church culture for the future of churches across the world.

Why am I saying this? I am saying this because gathering together regularly is essential to the usefulness of 1 Timothy 3. It’s essential when you cast your votes for deacons because it is only through gathering that you will be able to determine who does or does not meet the qualifications.

Why a sermon on pastoral qualifications a sermon for you, church member? Because you are the ones that select who will and will not lead the church.

Person not the duties

There is something interesting in this passage. You will not find a single sentence on the duty of a pastor. Nowhere does it say, “this is a list of what a pastor should do.” Instead, Paul focuses heavily on who the pastor is.

It is interesting that the word “overseer” comes from the Greek word ἐπισκοπή which describes a person who watches over, or looks after, others. This becomes clearer when we understand what Paul means by “aspires”. There is no self-servitude in this. They aren’t looking for glory or recognition. Their goal is the good of others.

Acts 20:28 says, “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.”

Did you catch that? The primary role of the pastor is to care for the church. Look down at 1 Timothy 3:5. While Paul is comparing one’s ability to manage his household with the task of pastoring, the message is still that the pastor is to care for the church. Why? Because it’s God’s church! It was bought with the blood of Christ and God’s cares deeply for his church. He is the father, and we are his children and pastors are caring for the children until daddy comes to get them.

Now, I take the safety of my girls very seriously and if I trust you to take care of my kids, I am expecting them to be taken care of. God doesn’t want to pick his kids up with bloody noses.

Paul calls the office a “noble task” again he is focusing on what the work is, not the work itself. Presumably, the church at Ephesus had its fair share of abusive leadership. Paul details much of this in Chapter one. I think it is safe to say that the new pastor in town by the name of Timothy was not immediately trusted or well liked. He didn’t give the bloody noses, but he resembled the men that did. Paul presented the message he was to take to them, the correct doctrine. But, when we get to chapter three it is as if he was saying, “Wait a minute Timothy…”

Unfortunately, many people have experienced the same thing as the Ephesians. Pastors today aren’t trusted and honored. It isn’t because the office of pastor isn’t good, it’s because many have been hurt by pastors who aren’t good people, and it grieves God’s heart when this happens.

God desire is for churches to be led by qualified godly men, who love his church. This is the work that Paul left to Timothy and Titus. And church, we are given the same duty. Each one of you in this room that is a believer in Christ and a member of this church has the duty to select men who look like 1 Timothy 3.

11 Qaulities

1. Husband of one wife: There is a lot of debate on what this means. Some argue that this means that a single man cannot serve as a pastor an only those who are married can. It is not my intention to enter that debate with this sermon. Ultimately, Paul is saying that a pastor must be a man of one woman. If Christ is the head of the church, we should understand easily why this is so.

In verse five Paul describes the qualified pastor as one who manages his household well. In other words, it’s not enough for leader to simply stay married, but have unhealthy marriages.

Paul says in Ephesians 5:22-27

“25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, 26 that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, 27 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.”

Do you see what Paul is doing there? Husbands love your wives as Christ loved the church. It is a sacrificial love that is committed to one bride. Christ has one bride, the church. Also, the goal of this love isn’t submission, although Paul does instruct wives to submit to their husbands, as he instructs the church to submit to their leadership. But the goal of this love is sanctification!

A pastor who cannot love his wife well, will not love the church well.

2. Soberminded- You could take this to mean that an overseer should avoid drunkenness, but Paul handles that elsewhere in this passage. It seems here that he is focused on that approach of a person’s leadership. A person who is soberminded does not act impulsively. This also means that with good leadership comes clear vision

3. Self-controlled- I think self-controlled comes after soberminded because one who thinks clearly will not give themselves up to excess. He is able. To control his emotions. When I was beginning in ministry, I had a mentor that was a great example of this. Whenever there was a heated discussion, he never spoke the first thing that came to his mind. I remember watching as he waited several seconds, sometimes minutes before offering a response.

4. Hospitable- Hospitality is a lost attribute in our culture, but in the setting of 1 Timothy it was nearly a necessity. In those days, there wasn’t even a motel six to leave the light on for you. What was available wasn’t safe or clean. Because of this, when strangers came to town the church didn’t see this as an obstacle but as an opportunity. In the New Testament, all Christians are instructed to live hospitable lives. There are two groups of people that we find we are to show hospitality to. 1) Fellow believers

“13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.” Romans 12:13

And also strangers,

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.” Heb 13:2

While we are all given the task of hospitality, it is pastors who model this for the church. It is their responsibility to ensure that the church has a hospitable culture. Notice that Paul didn’t say to preach sermons on hospitality or have a hospitality team in the church. No, a church will become hospitable when the leadership live hospitable lives.

5. Gentle- This is a difficult trait to hammer down. Pastors are shepherds and shepherds protect their flock from wolves. I have never been face to face with an actual wolf but I am certain that talking calmly and giving him a big hug won’t keep me from being torn apart.

But, in this context Paul is talking about how pastors interact with the flock.

A gentle leader will not be one that uses his energy is arguments but focuses on the safely and good of the flock. Not to mention, it takes a certain amount of thick skin to be a pastor. You must be able to take criticism without setting up your own kingdom.

6. Manages his household well- the home is a lot of ways is a mini church and father have been given the task of pastoring their families. This isn’t just important for pastors but all husbands and fathers in the room. So, dads, if you have been snoozing on me up until this point listen up! This isn’t just a lesson for pastors. Christian men manage their household well, exercising all of the attributes mentioned above.

Now, what do you mean by that? Well, I mean that all of 1 Timothy 3 is qualifications for pastors and deacons, but not all of it is for pastors and deacons.

Which of you fathers and husbands would say only pastors should be faithful to their wives, gentle, sober minded, hospitable etc.? I hope none of you would say that, because the calling on all men is to show the attributes of this chapter and the church sees it most clearly in how you manage your home. You may never be called to lead a church, but I assure you that you are called to lead your home. You may never preach a sermon from a pulpit, but I assure you that God expects you to teach your family the word. Then and only then can a person possibly take on the responsibility of leading God’s church.

7. Must be well thought of by outsiders- Finally, a leader in the church should have a good reputation with people outside of the church. The community should think well of him, and unbelievers while they do not agree with him should see him as someone who is respectable. This part has unbelievers specifically in mind. Why? Because a deficiency in the character of a leader of Christ’s church damages the testimony of who Christ is.

Paul describes the church as a “pillar and buttress of truth” in 1 Timothy 3:15. Yet, if a pastor or leader in the church deals dishonestly with those outside of the church, it hinders the message from landing on those outside of the church. The entire evangelistic mission of the church depends on this. This does not mean that pastors are perfect or that they never make mistakes but that there is an obvious movement of maturity that people notice. Especially those outside of the church.

The church

So, how does this passage apply to you? I think the first thing we must ask is if we live up to 1 Timothy 3. Just because the heading in your Bible says “Qualifications for overseers” does not mean this attributes are only expected of overseers.

“But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28 All husbands are expected to be a one woman man.

“So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” 1 Thess 5:6 All believers are to be sober minded.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Self control is evidence that the Spirit lives in you.

Look again! Gentleness is evidence that the Spirit lives in you!

“Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” 1 Peter 4:9

“Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.” Phil 2:4 our ministry as a church and as Christians is not just to those inside our church but all people everywhere.

This is the challenge for you this morning. Examine yourself. If the heading in your Bible was changed to “Qualifications for a follower of Christ” would you be qualify. Now, do not mistake me to be saying that in order to follow Jesus we have to check boxes. But, what I am saying is that these should be attributes of your life if you are following Jesus.

The Pastors

As leaders in the church we have a great responsibility to lead well. It’s not just in our teaching, our ideas, or our implementation of our ideas, but with our lives. Paul is very clear in this passage that what matters most in being a godly leader is not the duties of a leader but the life of the leader. So, to the deacons and pastors in this church I implore us to be men of this chapter. To study it and examine or live to ensure that we are giving every effort, by the grace of God and aided by the Spirit of God to be men like this. Not so people can think highly of us, but so we can lead the bride of Christ well and present her to him without blemish on the last day.

conclusion

One of the most common objections that I hear about Christianity is that the church is full of hypocrites. In some way, I can understand that objection. Church hurt is real hurt and people do not get over it easily. But, 1 Timothy 3 shows us that biblically qualified leaders are those who truly practice what they preach. Christ gave the church pastors and leaders because he loves and cares for his church, and a qualified pastor will also love and care for the church. Their lives will be a display of the changed life that they have received in Christ and because of that the life changing message of the gospel that they preach will be real. They can truly say, “Look, I was dead and now I am a live!” and we can say “Yes!” because we see the life of Christ in them.

Leaders are given as a gift from God.

“Ephesians 4:11–13 (ESV) 11 And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,

I don’t know of a single pastor in this church that doesn’t desire for you to know that life, the salvation found in Christ. This morning, by faith you can be saved from your sin. You can join the mission of reaching others with this message of forgiveness and restoration. As we close, I invite you to that this morning.

(Pray)