Presentation Transcript

1. Leadership First Century Style1 Timothy 3:1-7 The foundation of Christian leadership is CHARACTER. A person’s spiritual authenticity and Christian character rise above ability, gifts, passion, personality, and even experience.
2. Kent Hughes: “ It is generally true if the leadership is Bible-centered, the church is Bible –centered; if mission-minded the church will be mission-minded. If leadership is kind, the church will be kind. This is also true negatively---exponentially! Unloving, narrow, stingy leaders beget an unloving, narrow, stingy church.” Mark 10: 35 - 45 Spiritual leadership comes with suffering and experience. vs. 38,39 Spiritual leadership is sovereignlydetermined. v. 40 Spiritual leadership is servant orientated, not position orientated. vs. 41-45
3. Leadership is a Noble Aspiration. 1 Timothy 3:1 Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. “He who would play a leader’s part On a noble task has set his heart.” “Overseer” = Bishop. An interchangeable word with “presbyteroi” = Elder. Acts 20:17,28 and Titus 1:5 clearly show they are synonymous.
4. The Bible always uses “elders” in the plural. Ephesians 4:11-13.11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
5. 2. Spiritual Leadership Requires Noble Qualifications vs. 2-7 His Reputation V. 2, 7 1 Timothy 3: 2,7 2Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 7He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap. What is he characterized by now?
6. Galatians 5: 22-26 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. I believe in every case in the New Testament an Elder must be a man!
7. 2. The Husband of but one Wife v.2 Literally a “one-women/wife man”. This is to say he must have his eyes for only one woman---his wife! NLT, “He must be faithful to his wife”.
8. 3. Self-Mastery v.2 “Temperate” = Clear-headed, especially in the heat of the moment. He must be in control of his emotions, his tongue, and his fists. “Self-controlled” In every circumstance he can think clearly and respond appropriately. Thoughtful. Sober-minded. “Respectable” His behaviour shows he has purpose. Orderly. The elder must be mastered by God, not by his weakness!
9. 4. His Ministry v.2 a. Able to teach b. A shepherd of God’s folk 1 Peter 5:1-4 To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder, a witness of Christ's sufferings and one who also will share in the glory to be revealed:2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers--not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. c. A leader.
10. “Hospitality” = Loving strangers. Romans 12:13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 1 Peter 4:9 Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. “Able to Teach” Titus 1: 9 He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. He is a student of the Word.
11. 5. His Temperance v.3 “Not given to drunkenness” – literally, “not lingering beside wine.” Paul repeats this again as it relates to deacons verse 8, “not indulging in much wine”,and again in Titus 1:7, “not given to drunkenness”.
12. 6. His Temperament v.3 “not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome” “not a giver of blows” -Gentle, peace lover, humble. 2Tim. 2:24,25 24 And the Lord’s servant must not be quarrelsome but must be kind to everyone, able to teach, not resentful. 25 Opponents must be gentlyinstructed, in the hope that God will grant them repentance leading them to a knowledge of the truth,
13. 7. His Money v.3 “Not a lover of money” – Money cannot rule him. He can possess money but it cannot possess him. 8. His Family 1 Timothy 3:4,5 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5(If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?) 9. His Maturity 1 Timothy 3:6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
14. 1 Timothy 5:17-20 17The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning.