God's Design for Christian Leaders

It's a pretty mighty statement that you just sang.

For I know that His glory is my good.

I want to encourage you to turn there with me if you would, please.

1 Timothy chapter 3.

1 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

If you're using the Pew Bible, it's on page 992.

This morning we're going to be talking about spiritual leaders

and God's design for the spiritual leaders of this church.

Isn't it great that God has put together instructions

on how the church is supposed to work?

And those instructions are for our protection.

Those instructions are for our good as well as God's glory for our good.

Those instructions are meant to help us know how to please God

and know how to operate in the realm that God has directed.

It's a good thing.

The challenge of a passage like this morning,

when we're talking about spiritual leaders,

is to say, well, I'm not a spiritual leader.

I guess I can just check out.

And I guess I can just leave.

I wonder what's happening in the world today.

But that's not really, I think, what's going to be beneficial for us

as we move our way through this passage

because we know that the direction that God gave to Timothy

through the Apostle Paul is direction that is good for us,

not only in terms of spiritual leaders,

but it's good for us as a church

to know how God intends for you to relate to your leaders.

And as we read through this,

as we study through this this morning,

I hope you'll be encouraged to know

that this isn't just about God's direction for spiritual leaders,

but especially God's direction for His church.

This is God's design for us.

And we'll talk about that more as we move our way through the passage today.

Every Monday morning, I get an email in my inbox.

It's from a guy who hosts a ministry called the Practical Shepherding.

And at the beginning of this email,

it always begins the Monday email with this salutation.

It says,

Pastor, remember, it's just Monday.

Don't resign.

And in a recent email that he sent,

along with that he said,

Instead, drink some coffee,

get some sun,

take a walk,

pray with honesty,

lift something heavy,

talk to a safe friend.

Another pastor who is also involved in seeking to encourage other pastors in the ministry,

has a ministry called the Authentic Pastor.

And this was his prayer for pastors,

the pastors in his email distribution list for this past week.

He says,

My heart aches for pastors, Andrew.

I understand the weight you carry,

both publicly and privately.

I know the long hours,

the invisible struggles,

in the moments when you wonder if anyone truly sees what you're going through.

But more than that,

I know that there are areas of your life,

deep, unspoken places,

where you may feel stuck,

unsure,

or even distant from the healing you desperately need.

You may not have had the words for it,

but the Lord knows.

I know because I've been there too.

These pastors recognize the unrelenting struggle,

the consistent, heavy burden of ministry.

They have carried that burden for themselves,

and they recognize the significance of that burden on pastors,

and the challenge that pastors face from day to day,

from week to week.

Recently, there was a study from Barna

that suggested that 42% of pastors in evangelical churches

across this country,

42% of pastors in ministry this year

have wondered whether or not they should check out of ministry altogether.

42%.

Almost half of pastors in America

have wondered whether or not they should give up ministry that year.

Now, some of the pressures that they're facing,

some of the reasons why they're considering this are as follows.

The stress of the job itself,

feeling lonely and isolated,

unhappy with the effect that the role has on their family,

lack of optimism regarding the future of the church,

a church that has steadily declined,

not being satisfied with the job.

I think this sentiment is the same sentiment we find in the Apostle Paul,

the burdens and labors and challenges of ministry

that he describes in 2 Corinthians 11,

2 Corinthians 11:24–29

verses 24 to 29, when he says,

five times I received at the hands of the Jews

the 40 lashes less one.

Three times I was beaten with rods.

Once I was stoned.

Three times I was shipwrecked.

A night and a day I was adrift at sea

on frequent journeys in dangers from rivers,

dangers from robbers,

dangers from my own people,

dangers from Gentiles,

dangers in the city,

dangers in the wilderness,

dangers at sea,

dangers from false brothers,

in toil and hardship,

through many a sleepless night,

in hunger and thirst,

often without food,

in cold and exposure.

And apart from other things,

there is the daily pressure on me

of my anxiety for all the churches.

Who is weak and I'm not weak?

Who is made to fall?

And I am not indignant.

The Apostle Paul,

in recounting the challenges of ministry,

and then climaxed at the very end

by the fact that all of these

horrendous things that happened in ministry

don't even begin to compare

with the challenge and struggle

and burden that he has for the churches.

A burden for souls.

A burden for lostness.

A burden for the spiritual awakening

of God's people.

And all of that burden

in light of the fact

that the Apostle Paul

has understood

and come to grips

with his own fallenness.

He knows his own weakness.

He knows who is susceptible

in his own life

to failure

and to failing.

And yet,

through all of that,

there is a pressing on

and a moving forward.

With all of this,

one might wonder,

who would ever imagine

or want to move

into the ministry?

And with all of this in mind,

how can we,

how can you,

as a member of Maranatha,

be part of the long-term strategy

of helping to support

and encourage

and to ensure

that your spiritual leaders

were able to go the distance?

This morning,

my goal is twofold.

While we'll be moving through

this passage

that really deals extensively

with the qualifications of elders,

I want to target

two groups of individuals

here this morning.

The first group of individuals

that I intend to target

and I want to encourage

are those of you

young men

or even older men

who God may be

working on

through the course

of this message

to inspire you

to want to do

the hard work of ministry.

It's a good work of ministry.

We're going to talk about this

a little bit more

as we go along,

but I believe

that there are men

here today.

I believe that there are men

that God is choosing out,

selecting out,

and drawing into

the significant work,

the labors

of the mission field,

as it were,

this eternal work

and harvest of souls,

that God,

regardless of the struggles,

regardless of the loneliness

and the pressures

of leadership

and the criticism

that might come,

God, perhaps,

is calling many,

several of you,

perhaps,

to consider

the possibility

of heading into

this heart work

of the ministry.

The second

is that this message

is for you.

The congregation

at Maranatha,

those who would call

themselves believers

and followers

of Jesus Christ,

this message is for you

because the qualification

that we're going

to work through

this morning

are not just qualifications

for a pastor,

a spiritual leader,

that person

who's up front,

that person

who's leading

the various ministries

of the church.

These qualifications

are meant

to be the walk

of life,

the way of life

for every believer

in the church.

I love the way

that D.A. Carson

put this,

and I'll expound

on this quote

a little later,

but he talks about

how remarkable

the qualifications

are in how

unremarkable they are.

And what he means

by that is

that these qualifications

for elders

are no different

from the kinds

of standards

that God has set

before God's people.

And that God

has put leaders

in front of you

to demonstrate

what a walk

with God

really looks like,

to welcome

and invite God's people

to participate

and to wear

the same kinds

of habits

and the same kinds

of characteristics.

So if you're

there with me

in 1 Timothy 3,

I'm going to read

through our passage

this morning

as we begin

our time together.

1 Timothy 3,

beginning in verse 1.

The saying is trustworthy.

If anyone aspires

to the office

of overseer,

he desires

a noble task.

Therefore,

an overseer

must be above reproach,

the husband

of one wife,

sober-minded,

self-controlled,

respectable,

hospitable,

able to teach,

not a drunkard,

not violent,

but gentle,

not quarrelsome,

not a lover of money.

He must manage

his own household well,

with all dignity,

keeping his children

submissive.

For if someone

does not know

how to manage

his own household,

how will he care

for God's church?

He must not be

a recent convert,

or he may become

puffed up with conceit

and fall into

the condemnation

of the devil.

Moreover,

he must be well thought

of by outsiders

so that he may not

fall into disgrace,

into a snare

of the devil.

I want to break

this message up

into two parts

and we're going

to spend some time

just building out

the first verse

and talking about

the work

of spiritual leadership.

The work

of spiritual leadership

and then we're going

to follow it up

later on

with the life

of a spiritual leader

from verses 2

to 7.

But beginning now

with the work

of spiritual leadership.

What is this work

that we find here

in verse 1?

There's a number

of ways to describe

this work

and I want to move

from the end

of the verse

towards the beginning

of the verse

to kind of fill this

out for us

and I think there

are several characteristics

of this work

we see even

in verse 1.

First, it's a good work.

It's a good work.

Paul describes this

as a noble task.

Literally,

it is a good work.

Those looking

for an easy time

in leadership,

those who are

maybe gunning

for places

of authority

need to understand

at the very outset

this is a work

that Paul is calling

these leaders

in the church

to do.

In another place

in Thessalonians

the Apostle Paul

will not just call

this work

he'll call this labor.

He'll call this

the kind of labor

that expends him

that tuckers him out

that expends him

to his very end.

But I like how Paul

opens up this chapter.

He begins

this is a trustworthy saying

as he's talking

about this work.

Each time

the Apostle Paul

uses this phrase.

He uses it five times

throughout 1st and 2nd Timothy

and also in Titus.

And it's meant

to explain

or to draw out

the kind of truth

that Timothy

should know

is reliable.

This trustworthy saying.

This statement

that should be

a matter of fact

kind of statement.

Now why would

the Apostle Paul

begin this chapter

this way?

This is a trustworthy

statement.

Much like what he did

in 1st Timothy

chapter 1 verse 15.

The saying is trustworthy

and deserving

of full acceptance

he says

that Christ Jesus

came into the world

to save sinners

of whom I am

the foremost.

Timothy,

if there's any doubt

remember this

reliable statement

that's coming from me.

Recognize the truthfulness.

Recognize the reliability

of it.

Likely as Timothy

has just finished

reading the instructions

of 1st Timothy

chapter 1 and 2.

I'm imagining

in my mind's eye

that Timothy

is reading

these instructions

in chapter 1

and in chapter 2

and beginning to wonder

is this really

the kind of work

that I want

to be involved in?

After all

in 1st Timothy

chapter 1

the kind of

confrontation

that is required

this command

this charge

that Timothy

is supposed to give

to these

divergent teachers.

This is not

the kind

of climate

or the culture

in this church

that's going to be

really happy

and it's going to be

full of now

some conflict

and consternation

and criticism

and strange relationships.

Who wants

to go through that?

Timothy

in the latter parts

of 1st Timothy

chapter 1

he is called

by the apostle Paul

to wage

the good warfare.

Those aren't

the kinds

of terms

that you would use

in a peaceful

climate

and here Timothy

is as a spiritual

leader now

in this church

having to lead

the charge

as it were

in this area

and then

in chapter 2

to define

the roles

of biblical

manhood

and womanhood

and how that

plays out

in the church.

Who wants

to be on the

front lines

of that kind

of conversation?

But these were

the things

that were necessary.

These were the

things that were

essential

to have

a church

that would

become

and be

the pillar

and buttress

of truth

in order for it

to be a safe

haven for truth.

Truth needed

to be conveyed.

If Timothy

was going to

carry out

this good work

then bold

proclamation

and gracious

proclamation

of truth

needed to be

done.

Timothy

no doubt

did not want

conflict

but he understood

that truth

was the most

important thing

in order for

this church

to enjoy

the fruit

of this

good work

that he had

been called

to.

Second

it was a

desirable work

a desirable

work.

Notice

the saying

is trustworthy

if anyone

aspires

to the office

of overseer.

He desires

a noble task.

Two words

that kind of

fill out

this desire

that shows up

on the outside.

This aspiration

this stretching

out

this moving

forward

that happens

on the outside

that's driven

by an internal

desire.

This epithumia

which sometimes

in the New Testament

is a sinful

kind of desire

but here

it's used

in a way

to speak

of a desire

that is

this passionate

craving

and longing

for something

good.

The desires

that are

meant to drive

and compel

an individual

towards ministry.

I love how

one commentator

puts it

he says

Christ grabs

his pastors

by the heart

he doesn't

twist them

by the arm.

He wants

men

with holy

ambition

for the office.

Men

with holy

dreams

about feeding

and leading

the flock.

Men

willing

and eager

to stretch

themselves

and to do

what the

calling

requires.

Pastoring

drops you

into a

surging

rapid

of emotion

and spiritual

hazards.

A man

should become

a pastor

only if

he has

a sober

informed

eagerness

for the work.

God

doesn't

compel

one

to

ministry

as much

as inspires

him

and gives

him an

affection

and a

desire

to see

what the

ministry

is meant

to accomplish

in terms

of pointing

to the

glory

of God.

This is

exactly

what Peter

describes

in 1 Peter

1 Peter 5:2

chapter 5

verses 2

and 3

when he

says

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

not domineering

over those

in your

charge

but being

examples

to the

flock

two words

that Peter

uses

for these

shepherds

these leaders

there

spread across

the known

world

serve in a

way that

it is

willing

serve in a

way that

is eager

demonstrate

the inner

drive that

God has

given to

you for

this good

work that

you've been

called to

third

we find

that it's

a vital

work

it's a

vital

work

if anyone

aspires to

the office

of overseer

he desires

a noble

task

and then

an overseer

must be

and we fill

out the

remaining list

in verses

2 to 7

this office

of overseer

is used

four times

in the

new testament

it's

the word

that describes

the act

of being

visited

or the

office

as a

church

leader

some

have

suggested

that this

word

derives

its sense

from a

city

administrator

an inspector

or financial

manager

but it

probably

harkens

back

to the

to the

Qumran

community

those

as seen

Jews

in that

Qumran

community

who were

instructed

and given

the task

of preaching

and teaching

and presiding

over this

group

this community

of individuals

this word

for overseer

that we find

at the very

beginning

of verse 2

is a guardian

a supervisor

a keeper

a watchman

a superintendent

this is one

of the three

words used

throughout the

new testament

to describe

this office

of leader

and overseer

spiritual

leader

of the

church

the other

two

are elder

which is

presbyteros

and pastor

which is also

the word

for shepherd

all three

of these

words show

up in

1 Peter

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

we saw

this verse

just a moment

ago

but I want

to now

draw out

some of

these words

so you can

see them

all kind

of put

together

for us

in this

passage

I exhort

the elders

Peter says

among you

as a fellow

elder

and a

witness

of the

sufferings

of Christ

as well

as a

partaker

in the

glory

that is

going

to be

revealed

shepherd

this is

the verbal

form

of

pastor

shepherd

the flock

of God

that is

among you

exercising

oversight

this is

the verbal

form

of the

overseer

we found

in our

passage

not under

compulsion

but willingly

as God

would have

you

and when

the chief

shepherd

appears

you will

receive

the unfading

crown of

glory

the motivation

for all

of our

leadership

is

the glory

of God

the motivation

for our

leadership

is to

serve

under

the chief

shepherd

to follow

the directives

that he's

given

to manage

and care

for the

flock

of God

as he

has called

us

so what

are the

responsibilities

of this

overseer

we could

spend

the rest

of our

time

spelling

out

those

tasks

but let

me just

give them

to you

briefly

first

they are

to rule

we find

that in

first

Timothy

517

of course

they are

to preach

and to

teach

they are

to pray

for the

sick

we find

that in

James

James 5 · chapter mention

chapter 5

they are

to care

for the

church

we find

that in

this passage

here in

first

1 Peter 5 · chapter mention

Peter

chapter 5

they are

to be

examples

to follow

to set

church

policy

we find

from

Acts

Acts 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20

that they are

to help

safeguard the

flock

from wolves

they are

to guard

the flock

from error

to equip

the saints

for ministry

there in

Ephesians

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

they are

to counsel

they are

to encourage

they are

to spend

themselves

for the

advancement

and encouragement

of God's

people

essentially

they are

to represent

Christ

in a really

tangible

and practical

way

in pointing

people to

Christ

in showing

the example

of Christ

before God's

people

in spending

themselves

in a way

that represents

the costly

sacrifice

of our

Savior

for us

as a

pastor's

work

it is

vital

for the

health

of the

body

and he

does it

because

he understands

that it

points to

God

and that

brings

joy

finally

in this

section

it's a

team

work

it's a

team

work

this

role

of

eldering

shepherding

pasturing

overseeing

is always

described

throughout

the New

Testament

as being

done

in teams

being done

with others

these words

are always

used

together

in a

team

kind

of way

every

place

we find

them

throughout

the New

Testament

this word

is plural

by the way

there is

safety

in the

multiple

of leaders

there is

longevity

in the

multiplicity

of leaders

as they're

working

together

and pulling

the weight

together

there is

wisdom

in the

plurality

of leaders

Solomon

says in

Ecclesiastes

Ecclesiastes 4 · chapter mention

chapter 4

in describing

the benefit

of

multiplicity

he says

there

two are

better than

one

because they

have a good

reward for

their toil

for if they

fall

one will

lift up

his fellow

but woe

to him

who is

alone

wherein

he falls

and has

not another

to lift

him up

the value

and the

importance

and significance

of leading

God's church

together

and so let me

just point you

to a few

passages

just briefly

that would

reflect the

fact that

the elders

are serving

together

in Acts

Acts 14:23

chapter 14

verse 23

we see this

and when they

had appointed

elders

this is speaking

of Paul

and Barnabas

they're heading

back from their

first missionary

journey

and those

churches

that they

have just

established

they're working

their way

back to

Antioch

and what's

happening

here

is when

they go

back to

those churches

it says

they appoint

elders for

them

in every

church

with prayer

and fasting

they committed

them to

the Lord

in whom

they had

believed

in Acts

Acts 20 · chapter mention

chapter 20

on the

end of

Paul's

third

missionary

journey

again he's

heading back

to Jerusalem

and it says

this

now from

Miletus

he sent

to Ephesus

and called

the elders

of the church

to come

to him

and then

in Titus

Titus 1:5

chapter 1

verse 5

the instructions

that Paul

will give

to Titus

in terms

of appointing

elders

is this

this is why

I left

you in

Crete

so that

you might

put

what remained

into order

and appoint

elders

in every

town

as I

directed

you

then to

the church

of Philippi

he says

Paul and

Timothy

servants

of Christ

Jesus

to all

the saints

in Christ

Jesus

who are

in

Philippi

with the

overseers

and deacons

and then

1 Peter

1 Peter 5:1

chapter 5

verse 1

we've seen

this several

times

but just

to continue

to fill

it out

so I

exhorted

the elders

among you

this

wisdom

and

interest

in

plurality

of leaders

in the

church

that strengthens

them for

the work

maybe you'd

be asking

so what

about

smaller

churches

what

about

churches

that can't

afford

to have

multiple

pastors

how

will they

be able

to carry

out

this

function

and the

simple

answer

is that

they would

continue

to carry

out

this

function

the same

way

the apostle

Paul carried

this

function

out

in the

churches

that he

served

and by

the way

the way

that churches

are carrying

out this

function

and have

been carrying

out this

function

around the

world

since the

first century

and that

is

pastors

who are

committed

to

bivocational

kinds

of

ministry

or

committed

to

full-time

work

and

part-time

ministry

for the

sake

of

loving

and

serving

God's

church

this is

what the

apostle

Paul did

in

supporting

his

team

in

working

as a

tent

maker

this

is

what

I

have

been

able

to

witness

around

the

world

pastors

who

are

devoted

to

the

church

but

have

to

support

themselves

in

their

family

with

a

job

that

is

unrelated

to

ministry

this

is a

way

for

them

to

demonstrate

to

their

church

the

hard

work

and

diligence

of

faithful

service

in

the

world

but

also

demonstrate

their

care

for

those

that

God

has

entrusted

to

them

what

a

blessing

it

is

in

the

places

that

I've

been

to

see

men

who

are

committed

to

this

kind

of

service

now

as

we've

seen

the

work

of

spiritual

leaders

now

let's

turn our

attention

to the

life

of a

spiritual

leader

the

life

of a

spiritual

leader

in

verses

2-7

now

just at

the very

beginning

of this

I want

you to

know

there's

no way

we can

cover

all of

these

character

qualities

in one

sitting

together

and so

next week

we're gonna

have a chance

since there's

some correlation

and similarities

between the

deacon

and the

elder

to be

able to

to build

this out

a little bit

more in

our time

next week

but let me

just

read

this passage

again

for us

remind us

of what's

going on

here

and then

spend some

time

working

through

it says

in verse

2

therefore

an overseer

must be

above reproach

the husband

of one wife

sober minded

self-controlled

respectable

hospitable

able to

teach

not a

drunkard

not violent

but gentle

not quarrelsome

not a lover

of money

he must

manage his

household

well

with all

dignity

keeping his

children

submissive

for if

someone does

not know

how to

manage

his own

household

how will

he care

for God's

church

he must

not be

a recent

convert

or he

may become

puffed up

with conceit

and fall

into the

condemnation

of the

devil

moreover

he must

be well

thought of

by outsiders

so that

he may

not fall

into disgrace

into the

snare

of the

devil

we see

right at

the outset

there are

two words

that begin

to shape

the rest

of our

passage

we see

them right

there in

verse 2

the word

must be

and the

word above

reproach

those two

words

help to

provide some

definition

for the

qualities

of this

pastor's

life

that we'll

see throughout

the rest

of our

passage

when we

find this

word

must be

it's the

word for

it is

necessary

and this

word

will govern

the next

eleven

characteristics

that we

find

throughout

the

remaining

part

of this

passage

grammatically

they're

dependent

upon

this

word

it is

necessary

and then

this word

above

reproach

it speaks

of exemplary

character

obviously

this isn't

a pastor

who is

perfect

this is a

pastor

who has

demonstrated

a steady

consistent

faithful

pattern

of life

that through

the long

haul

demonstrates

that he

is someone

to whom

there is

no blame

no one

can properly

bring against

him a charge

of unfitness

for office

this exemplary

life sets

the example

for the church

and that's

why I used

this term

I used

this term

exemplary

to help

you understand

that he

in doing

this

will be

an example

an exemplary

kind

of character

that's why

the apostle

Paul is able

to say

imitate me

as I

imitate

the Lord

Jesus

that's why

Paul could

say to the

church of

Philippi

in Philippians

Philippians 4:9

chapter 4

verse 9

he says

what you

have learned

and received

and heard

and seen

in me

practice

these things

and the

God of

peace

will be

with you

you see

the qualifications

that we see

here for

elders

is not

a qualification

that is

only for

them

but they

are setting

the example

they are

calling the

church

to the same

kind of

life

and by the

way

it's the

kind of

life

that like

Paul says

in chapter

1

where he

calls himself

the chief

of sinners

and because

of the

mercy

that God

has

demonstrated

to him

then he's

able to

move

and those

that he's

sharing the

gospel with

will say

well if

God

can do

a work

in Paul's

life

then I

suppose

he can

do a

work

in my

life

too

that's

really

the thrust

of this

exemplary

life

the life

of one

who you

know

is broken

as you

look at

your

pastor

you look

at your

spiritual

leaders

and you

recognize

there's

there's

brokenness

in that

man

I

see

flashes

of

the

flesh

coming

through

that

man

and yet

there's

hope

at the

same

time

because

as God

is transforming

me

into the

image of

Christ

from one

degree

of glory

to the

other

I trust

that through

that process