Open your Bibles, if you would please, to 1 Timothy chapter 5.
! 1 Timothy chapter 5.
!
We're going to be picking up at verse 17, and it opens this way.
It says,
Let the elders who rule be counted worthy of double honor.
Let the elders who rule be counted of double honor.
So, there's at least two reasons why this is challenging this morning.
First is because when we hear the word rule,
I don't know about you, but there's flashes of,
what does that mean?
Who am I submitting myself to?
And how in the world can I possibly honor that kind of leader?
A kind of leader who rules.
We've come to understand the challenges of authority
that are misappropriated and overused in our culture,
and so we tend to bristle against leadership and authority and rule.
So, we need to understand what the Bible says about that kind of spiritual leadership.
What does it look like?
The second reason why this is a challenging passage
is because it seems a little self-serving, to be quite honest with you.
Because as an elder, here I am trying to instruct you,
as we're walking through this passage,
Honor me!
Ha ha!
Hey, you need to give me double honor.
You need to consider me worthy.
That just doesn't go well.
And so, it's not really a passage that I prefer to preach, quite honestly.
But this is how we do it.
Working through passages, working through texts.
And so, we preach the things that we like,
and we preach the things we don't.
And we understand this guiding principle.
We understand, as Paul will write in the second letter to Timothy,
he'll say in chapter 3, verses 16 and 17, he says,
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and it is profitable.
Right?
Profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction, and righteousness,
so that the man of God might be perfect, thoroughly equipped,
for every good work.
And so, this is in God's word, and this is good for you.
This is good for me.
God has given us leaders.
And leaders are good.
And when we come to understand the right kind of response to leaders,
then we come to enjoy the benefits of good spiritual leadership.
All throughout the Bible, we have seen God's design for leaders.
And it's not the kind of leadership that we would come to assume in culture today.
If we were to characterize leadership in culture today,
some of the things that might come to your mind are things like charisma.
Man, he's full of energy.
He draws attention.
He's inspirational.
Or he's a great vision caster.
He knows what's coming.
He knows the steps on how to get there.
He can cast that vision, and he can draw people along with him.
Maybe he has the gift of communication.
He knows how to articulate difficult concepts.
He knows how to inspire and draw people to his message.
Maybe he has that winning personality.
Or he has that courage.
Or maybe he has this driving work ethic.
Whatever it is that we associate with good leadership,
that's maybe some of the ideas that we get.
But I want you to know, in God's economy,
the best spiritual leaders are the best followers.
The best spiritual leaders are the best followers.
Make no mistake.
Those who have learned to lead God's people,
those who have been entrusted with the greatest responsibility
of providing direction and leadership and authority
and care and love for God's people throughout time
have been those who have learned to walk in the steps of God.
To know what the Bible says
and to align their heart and life
to do what God's Word says.
That's why when the Apostle Paul is giving qualifications
for spiritual leaders back in chapter 3 of 1 Timothy,
that's what he brings to the surface.
That's what he wants to bring out front.
It's not how great they are at communicating.
It's not how gifted they are at crafting vision
or their strategic nature.
No, it's all about their character.
It's all about do they know what the Bible says
and have they incorporated it into their life?
The greatest spiritual leaders are the ones who've learned
to be the greatest followers of God.
We think about Moses.
I mean, I love the exercise
and I would just encourage it for you.
Even this afternoon, read through the book of Exodus
and just do this exercise.
Every time you see,
and God said,
followed by,
and Moses did,
underline those phrases
and you will be blown away.
The leadership of God over Moses' life,
that was preeminent.
That's what made him a spiritual leader.
It shows up in the life of Joshua.
Here he's concerned about stepping in
to the shadow of this great leader Moses.
And what's the encouragement that God gives to Joshua?
We find it in Joshua 1, 8, and 9.
This is the key for success, Joshua.
You want to be a great leader?
Here's what it looks like.
This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth.
You shall meditate on it day and night,
that you may observe to do according
to all that is written in it.
For then you will make your way prosperous
and then you will have good success.
Have I not commanded you?
Be strong and of a good courage.
Do not be afraid, nor be dismayed.
For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.
Joshua, you want to be a great leader?
Follow me.
Know my word and follow my commands.
And I will be with you.
I will prosper you.
And I will fulfill my objectives through you.
Trust me.
Follow me.
And then lead the people to do the same.
That becomes the pattern throughout all of Scripture.
We don't have time this morning to talk about all of the examples through Scripture.
But we see it on and on and on as we move our way through the Scripture.
Leaders who are marked by humility.
Marked by obedience to God.
Courage to proclaim God's word.
To accept the challenges that come.
Men who have learned to listen and follow God.
And that's what we're going to see in our passage today.
We're going to see that those kinds of leaders that have risen up and have followed God in the greatest ways.
And are now entrusted with this great responsibility of leading and exercising authority over God's family.
They're to do it in a way that is recognized.
Do it in a way that is met with the care of God's family.
God's people.
In our passage there are going to be four commands.
Four imperatives that we're going to run across and move through as we work our way through this passage.
Four imperatives that we find throughout this passage.
That address us as a church in our response and care for the spiritual leaders that God has set over us.
First, a church must honor its leaders.
A church must honor its leaders.
Let me read this passage for us and then we'll jump into our text for today.
Beginning again at verse 17.
It says this.
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor.
Especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
For the scripture says you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.
And the laborer deserves his wages.
Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.
As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all so the rest may stand in fear.
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels,
I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.
Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others.
Keep yourselves pure.
No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.
The sins of some people are conspicuous.
Going before them to judgment.
But the sins of others appear later.
So also, good works are conspicuous.
And even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
Excuse me.
We find four commands in this passage.
The first command is right there at the front of verse 17.
It says,
Be considered worthy.
That's our first command.
Honor your leaders.
And there are several ways that we're informed or encouraged on how to honor our leaders
and the reasons for why we should honor them.
Well, we honor them, first of all, because of their service to the body.
Honor them because of their service to the body.
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor.
Honor.
This word to be considered worthy is a present tense.
It's a present imperative.
It's a command that Paul is issuing to this church.
Recognize your responsibility to provide honor.
This double honor, as he says.
This respect.
It's really the word to know.
To recognize.
To be aware.
To call attention to.
Recognize those among you who are serving, leading, ruling well.
Recognize them and respect them.
Respect them in a way that calls attention to their life.
Respect them in a way that aligns your heart and life to identify and to submit to and to revere what God has called them to do.
There is this responsibility to esteem them well.
And we esteem them in a couple of different ways.
We esteem them by drawing attention to the work that they do and by supporting them in ministry.
But who are these elders after all?
Who are they?
Well, they can be older men or older women.
We actually see that at the beginning of this chapter.
These two words.
Presbyteros.
It refers to both older men and older women.
In verses 1 and 2.
It says,
Do not rebuke an older man.
That's our word.
Presbyteros.
And younger men as brothers.
Older women.
That's also presbyteros.
As mothers.
Younger women as sisters.
But it's also used extensively throughout the gospels.
The word elders refers to these spiritual leaders who were there among the people of God.
And it's often attached to scribes and Pharisees and to the religious leaders there in Jerusalem.
The elders that were there.
This word is common in Judaism to describe religious leadership.
It was also then applied to the spiritual leadership within the church.
These elders who were exercising leadership and authority among God's people.
We see that in chapter 4 verse 14.
Just look at that for a moment.
Where Paul tells Timothy,
Do not neglect the gift you have which was given to you by prophecy.
When the council of elders laid their hands on you.
This group of spiritual leaders in the church recognized the gifts that God had given to you.
They appointed you for ministry.
So when we're speaking of an elder, we're speaking of spiritual leaders in the church.
The usage in the New Testament.
We see elders and overseers used interchangeably throughout the New Testament.
We saw that word overseer in chapter 3 verses 1 and following.
Here we see the word elder.
And those two words are used interchangeably in Titus chapter 1.
Titus 1.5 says this.
This is why I left you in Crete.
That you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.
And then a couple verses later.
For an overseer as God's steward must be above reproach.
He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain.
And then on and on the list goes about his qualifications.
We see that leaders, elders, pastors, overseers are interchangeable words throughout the New Testament
to describe this spiritual leadership.
But what do these leaders do?
Well, they're leaders who rule.
They're leaders who exercise authority.
This word for rule is expressed and describes one who guides or directs.
One who provides direction for the affairs of the church.
One who provides this ongoing activity of authority over the church.
As we observe the way that Paul uses this same term for overseer,
we get a clearer picture of what they do.
Even looking back to chapter 3, he will use this same word for rule
when speaking of a way an elder and a deacon will manage their families.
Notice chapter 3, verses 4 and 5.
It says,
He must manage, that's our word to rule here in chapter 5.
He must manage his household well with all dignity.
For if someone does not know how to manage his own household,
how will he care for God's church?
Do you get the sense of the kind of leadership,
the kind of authority,
the kind of rule that a pastor is meant to express for the church?
The same kind of leadership that he exercises in his family?
The same kind of tenderness and care he provides for his children,
for his wife?
The same kind of affection that he will demonstrate to those members of his own household?
That's the kind of management that an elder is meant to exact in the church.
The New Testament is full of principles that will set the boundaries,
the guardrails, as it were,
on how an elder is meant to govern the church.
Christ will talk about and differentiate or contrast the leadership
between the world and the elders within the church
from Matthew chapter 20, verses 25 to 28,
when he says this,
Jesus called them, speaking of his disciples to him and said,
you know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them,
and their great ones exercised authority over them.
It shall not be so among you,
but whoever would be great among you must be your servant.
Whoever would be first among you must be your slave,
even as the Son of Man came not to be served,
but to serve,
and to give his life a ransom for many.
So the leadership in the church,
the elders, the pastors, the overseers,
their leadership is meant to reflect and resemble the leadership of Christ,
which was a leadership preeminently of service,
of spending, of love,
not in lording it over and using their position as a means of power,
but a ministry that will be directed by the word of God.
It will be displayed the self-sacrificing care of God.
It will be governed by the wisdom and directed by the wisdom of God,
empowered by the spirit of God,
and motivated for the glory of God.
In every way,
he is following after the Savior
and leading others,
encouraging others to follow along.
His ministry will be bold
and unwavering regarding the truth.
He will seek to protect the flock.
It will be marked with zeal and eagerness.
It will be impartial.
We find from 1 Corinthians,
it will be steadfast,
immovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord.
It will be a ministry
that resembles Christ and points to Christ.
It's not a leadership for personal gain.
It's not a leadership for fleecing the flock.
It's not a leadership that is lording it over others.
But it's also not a leadership that's weak.
It's not a leadership that avoids conflict.
It's not a leadership that will resist and run away from problems.
No, it steps in.
It's bold and seeks to guard others from danger.
It's a leadership that's not just about making decisions,
but in equipping others for ministry.
This multiplying kind of leadership
that elders and pastors are meant to have.
Despite popular opinion,
strong, godly leadership is good.
It's good for you.
It's good for us to have strong leaders
that stand in the gap.
It's good for us to have strong leaders
who point the way to Christ.
It's good for you to have leaders
who care for your soul
and seek to encourage you
in things that may be difficult.
It's good for you to have leaders
who are able to devote themselves
to the word of God
and to instruct you in ways
that will lead you and point you to him.
Good leaders are good for the church.
So the church has not only the responsibility,
but the joy of honoring those leaders
because of their ministry,
but also because of their instruction in the word.
And that's where we turn next.
They honor those leaders
because of their instruction in the word.
Notice at the very end of verse 17,
it says,
especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.
Everything in the Christian life
is due to the word of God.
Faith comes by hearing
and hearing by the word of God.
You have a relationship.
I have a relationship with God
because of the ministry of the word.
Whoever that ministry came from,
it came through the word.
And so it's the word of God
that lifts you and restores you
in relationship to God himself.
And it's the word of God
that strengthens you
for the work that God has called you to.
As Jesus prays in John 17,
he says,
sanctify them by your truth.
Your word is truth.
So the people of God
are strengthened and carried along
by the word of God.
What a joy it is
to have spiritual leaders
who have given themselves to know the word
and have sought to teach that word to you.
They labor in teaching and preaching.
This word for labor is the work
to describe that which is hard.
Matter of fact,
it's the work that comes
to the point of fatigue and exhaustion.
It tuckers them out.
It makes them collapse into bed.
But they do it because they're doing it,
their work heartily as to the Lord
and not to men.
They do it because they are expending themselves
for the things that matter.
The church of Ephesus
would have known precisely
what Paul was talking about
in this labor of ministry
that he gave to them.
Both public ministry
and private ministry.
We find this ministry
of preaching and teaching
and I think the translation
does us a bit of a disservice.
It says,
those who labor in preaching
and teaching
and we get this image
in our mind
of what that must look like.
We imagine somebody
standing in front of a group
preaching or teaching them
or somebody perhaps
that's in a Sunday school class
or in some way
teaching or preaching.
But the literal translation of this
is those who labor in the word
and doctrine.
These are not verbs.
These are nouns.
They have given themselves
to the logos,
to the word of God.
They have given themselves
to the teaching,
to the instruction,
to the word of God itself,
to the doctrine of God.
They've committed themselves
to know what the Bible says
and so in every interaction
that they have,
both personal and public,
it's an interaction
that is governed by their love
for the word
and is instructive
and is helpful.
God has blessed Maranatha
with great teachers.
And I'm not speaking of myself.
The legacy of godly teachers
in this church are immense.
I think about the 60-year history
that we have as a church
and I think I am really only
the third main pastor
who's been here.
I know there have been four.
One was here for a short period of time
but the legacy of faithful teaching
and the ministry of building up
the body because of the faithful teaching
of the word of God.
But I also think about
the commitment of your other pastors
to the word of God.
I think of Pastor John
every single Sunday morning.
His commitment to the word of God
in making sure that the songs
that we sing
in the transitions
between the various songs
that are introduced
and making sure that
they are Christ-centered
and biblical
and sound in theology.
His interactions with you,
especially teenagers
and young men
on Tuesday morning
is instructive and helpful.
It demonstrates his love
for the word of God.
And then Pastor David,
how many of you
at this church
have been blessed
by the ministry
of Pastor David and Brenda?
And I don't want to forget
about Kristen.
Their ministry,
Pastor David and Brenda,
especially the couples
in the counseling,
the leaders,
the small group leaders,
the various leaders
of the ministries
here at our church
and the significance
of that commitment
to the word of God.
You know when you ask them
a question about the Bible
that you can trust the answer.
It's an answer
that has been undergirded
by a commitment
to truth,
to teaching,
to the word.
They've been faithful
because of their faithfulness
to the word.
They deserve your honor
and respect.
I appreciate this quote
from the book
The Path to Being a Pastor.
It says,
These will be men
who are masters
of the word
and mastered
by the word.
Men who are
masters of the word
and are mastered
by the word.
That's what we're talking about.
We're talking about
somebody who has
the gift of teaching.
Well, over a century ago,
as Charles Haddon Spurgeon
said of John Bunyan
who wrote
Pilgrim's Progress,
he said this
of John Bunyan.
He said,
Prick him anywhere
and you will find
that his blood
is Bibline.
The very essence
of the Bible
flows from him.
He cannot speak
without quoting a text
for his soul
is full
of the word
of God.
That's the kind
of leader
we desire to be.
That's the kind
of leader
that you
need to commend.
They've distinguished
themselves
as those
who love
the word
and love you
to the word.
Finally,
in this section,
you honor them
because of the teaching
of the scripture.
What does the Bible
say about how you
honor your leaders?
Verse 18,
for the scripture
says,
you shall not
muzzle an ox
when it treads out
the grain
and the laborer
deserves his wages.
The second part
of this quote
that's drawn
from Christ's words
in Luke,
the first part
of this quote
that's drawn
from the Old Testament.
Deuteronomy
chapter 25,
4 simply says,
you shall not
muzzle an ox
when it treads
out the grain.
When the ox
is doing the work,
it's pulling
that stone,
it's rolling
over the grain,
you have a responsibility
as the farmer
to ensure
you're doing
that oxen
good service.
Paul reasons
that if God
could show
concern
in the law
for an ox,
then the congregation
obviously
needs to show
concern
for their pastor.
That makes sense.
And Christ himself
in his own words
to his disciples
in Luke chapter 10,
he says this,
after the Lord
appointed the 72
others
and sent them
on ahead of him
two by two
into every town
and place
where he himself
was about to go,
he says,
go your way,
behold,
I am sending you
out as lambs
in the midst
of wolves.
Carry no money bag,
no knapsack,
no sandal
and greet no one
on the road.
Wait a second,
Jesus,
what are you
asking us to do?
Carry no money,
no knapsack?
How are we going
to care for ourselves?
Well,
don't worry.
Don't worry.
Remain in the same house,
eating and drinking.
What they provide
for the laborer
deserves his wages.
Do not go
from house to house.
And I appreciate
that second piece,
the integrity
of staying where you are
in trusting the provision
that God has given
to you,
not in trying to search
out better options.
Oh,
that house over there
has a pool.
I think I'm going
to go over there.
Even though this place
that I'm at
is kind of stinky
and kind of small.
Trust the provision
that God has given
to you.
Trust that God
will provide.
And church,
be those
who honor
through support
in honoring God's word.
And I can say
my experience
at Maranatha
has been
that you
have excelled
in this.
I'm grateful
for how you
have allowed
the pastoral team
to serve
without having
to worry
about financial
things.
you have
excelled
in your care
for your pastors.
Thank you.
Next,
the next responsibility.
We find
in verse 19,
it says
a church
must
protect
its leaders.
A church
must
protect
its leaders.
Notice,
do not
admit
a charge.
That's another command.
Do not
admit
a charge
against
an elder
except
on the
evidence
of two
or three
witnesses.
This word
for charge
is the word
for formal
charges
that are being
brought.
One commentator
says this,
quote,
there are
always people
eager to
falsely accuse
a man of God.
They may
do so
because they
resent his
calling,
they reject
his teaching,
they resist
biblical authority,
they resent
virtue,
are jealous
of the Lord's
blessing on
his life.
Ultimately,
however,
they demonstrate
by making
such accusations
that they
have become
messengers
of Satan,
end quote.
We live
in a time
that is
hostile
to leadership.
We live
in a time,
and I just
read a book,
and I won't
tell you the
title of the
book,
but I just
read a book
that the
whole thing
was about
making sure
you keep
your leaders
in check,
and it
doesn't
incorporate
really,
as far as
I'm concerned,
any real
biblical,
any biblical
instructions
related to it.
It's all
built in
culture,
it's all
built on
the day
and time
in which we
live,
and not
established
on the
foundation
or principles
of God's
word.
And Paul
will move
to this
next.
Certainly,
your leaders
are not
without
problems,
okay?
And I'll
be the
first to
admit that
your leaders
make mistakes,
your leaders
sin.
I'll go so
far as to
say that
there are
times where
we sin
against you,
and that
will be dealt
with in just
a moment.
But so
often in
today's day
and age,
the smallest
offense,
the smallest
problem,
I can't even
remember,
this is going
back several
years now,
and I had
somebody come
to me and
said,
I'm really
angry at
you,
Pastor Andrew.
And I
said,
really?
Tell me,
what did I
do?
And he
said,
well,
six months
ago,
you walked
down these
stairs,
you walked
right past
me,
and you
didn't even
acknowledge
me.
I'm like,
wow,
why didn't
you tell me
this six
months ago?
I am so
sorry,
we could have
cleared this
up a long
time ago.
But this
is the day
and age
in which
we live.
And by
the way,
I'll tell
you,
there are
actual
ministries
that target
pastors for
this specific
purpose.
They want
to dismantle
the ministry,
they want
to discredit
the ministry,
they want
to blow
up the
church.
Can I
encourage
each of
you
to
seek
to
honor
your
leaders,
to give
them the
benefit
of the
doubt.
I'm
thinking
particularly
of 1
Corinthians
chapter
13,
where Paul
says that
the quality
of love
is it bears
all things,
it believes
all things,
it hopes
all things,
it endures
all things.
Now,
certainly,
the apostle
Paul isn't
trying to
set leaders
apart and
trying to say
that they
don't have
any accountability
because that's
where we go
next.
You need
to protect
your leaders
but you
need to
understand
that a
church must
also
discipline
its sinning
leaders.
A church
does have
a responsibility
to hold
their leaders
accountable.
We find
that in
verses 20
and 21.
As for
those who
persist in
sin,
rebuke
them in
the presence
of all
so that
the rest
may fear.
In the
presence of
God,
of Christ
Jesus
and the
elect angels,
I charge
you to
keep these
rules without
prejudging,
doing nothing
from
partiality.
We're all
aware,
especially in
the last
several months
and several
years,
of the
failures of
really prominent
pastors.
We know
the devastating
effect that
that sin
has on
individuals that
they're interacting
with and the
churches that
they serve.
We know
how that
discredits
their
ministry,
how that
dishonors
the name
of God,
how that
brings a
measure of
tarnish to
the beauty
of the
gospel.
We recognize
the significance
of sin and
the effects that
it has on
the church
itself.
And the
leaders of
God's church,
those who have
been called to
spiritual leadership
within the
church,
because of
the public
nature of
their ministry,
the apostle
Paul is
helping Timothy
understand public
sin must be
treated in
public ways.
And so when
he's confronted
and when he
persists in
sin and when
you see this
characteristic of
his life continues
and there's no
posture for
repentance or
changing his
heart,
you must stand
before the
congregation and
rebuke and
provide discipline
and confrontation
of him in the
presence of
all.
Why?
So the rest
will fear.
It stands as a
significant warning
to the rest of
the body of the
seriousness of
sin.
It helps to
expose the
nature of his
leadership and
helps to
protect and
preserve the
body of Christ
from those
things that
would cause
harm.
Timothy, as
we've seen
throughout this
letter, going
back to chapter
one, what is
the mandate?
He is to
charge some so
they teach no
other doctrine.
Why?
Because it
would lead to
shipwreck.
That's what he
says later on
in chapter one.
It has eternal
ramifications.
So for the
sake of the
beauty of Christ
and the gospel
message, do what
is necessary to
keep him in
check.
Rebuke him in
the presence of
all so the
rest may fear.
So the rest
might understand
the seriousness
of sin.
So the rest
may come to
terms with how
their sin is
also leading
maybe to
smaller effects
in the circles
in which they
run.
You have a
responsibility to
protect him, but
you also have a
responsibility to
discipline him.
Finally, in
verses 22 to
25, a church
must promote
its leaders.
A church must
promote its
leaders.
It says,
do not be
hasty in the
laying on of
hands.
That's our
imperative.
That's our
command here.
Nor take part
in the sins of
others.
Keep yourself
pure.
No longer drink
only water, but
use a little
wine for the
sake of your
stomach and your
frequent ailments.
sins.
The sins of
some people are
conspicuous, going
before them to
judgment, but the
sins of others
appear later.
So also good
works are
conspicuous, and
even those that
are not cannot
remain hidden.
There's the
principle of
promoting, and
this laying on
of hands is
likely the
confirmation of
these men, these
leaders who have
risen up within
the church, this
confirmation of
their role of
leadership, similar
to what we saw in
chapter 4, verse
14, that council
of elders that
laid hands on
Timothy, kind of
commissioning him
to ministry.
This is what we're
talking about here.
And Paul wants
Timothy to
understand, because
of the serious
nature of
leadership, take
your time.
Be patient.
Don't rush
into it.
And there's two
amazing,
benefits that we
see here.
We see that the
sins of people,
some people, are
obvious, they're
conspicuous.
You wait long
enough, you're
going to see
their sin.
You're going to
see their sinful
tendencies, you're
going to see how
they relate to
others, you're
going to recognize
whether or not
they're fit for
ministry.
That's why in
chapter 3, the
apostle Paul says
make sure that
he's not a
novice, these
elders, and for
deacons, make
sure that they're
first tested.
You want to make
sure the leaders
that you have
are those who
represent the
consistent, faithful
integrity of
walking and
following after
God.
They do that
long enough, you
will know their
true nature.
You'll either see
their obvious
sins, or the
flip side is
you're going to
see their obvious
works, their good
works, their true
heart, their
faithful character,
their integrity,
their love for
others, their
zeal for the
scriptures, their
passion for
service, their
humility and
obedience.
You'll see those
things, they're
going to come to
light, just trust
the process and be
patient along the
way.
Having godly
leaders is so
important, Timothy.
Take your time, be
patient, but the
other principle
that's important for
us to understand
here too, is that
it is the church
that's responsible
for promoting
leaders to their
place.
Going back to
chapter 3, verse
1, it says, the
saying is
trustworthy.
If anyone aspires
to the office of
overseer, he
desires a noble
task.
Therefore, an
overseer must be
above reproach, and
so on and so
forth.
In other words,
just because a
young man
aspires to
leadership and
wants this good
thing, is not
an automatic for
them to serve in
that position.
Make sure,
Timothy and
church, that
their life is
squared up with
the gospel.
And it's the
church that will
do the work of
confirming those
young men for that
kind of leadership.
And so, the
beauty of the
church in that
role of raising
up godly leaders
and doing it in a
way that shows
their confidence in
the Lord and
their patience in
the process.
All of this, of
course, is
possible because of
the work of
Christ.
We have a church
family.
We have church
leaders because of
what Christ
accomplished for us
on the cross
through his death
and through his
resurrection.
We're going to
transition now to
our time of
communion.
I'm going to
pray, invite the
men who are
helping to come
forward and
we'll observe
this time of
communion.
Father, thank
you for your
kindness to us
in giving us
spiritual leaders.
Thank you that
they do it
through the
instruction of the
word of God and
through the power
of the spirit of
God.
God, I pray
that as your
people, you would
help us to be
faithful in our
care for our
leaders.
I pray that we
would recognize
them as you have
called us to,
support them,
love them,
promote them,
and Lord, even
discipline them
when necessary.
And God, I pray
that you would
help this church
to grow in
likeness to
Jesus Christ.
That we would be
ever more
effective in the
gospel message that
you've called us to.
ever more
resembling the
perfections of
Christ in our
life.
Obedience and
submission to you.
Thank you for
sending your son
to begin that
work in us.
We pray in Jesus'
name.
Amen.