If you have your Bible with you, you can open it up to 1 Timothy 3.
Last Sunday we heard from God's Word a little bit about how the church should be led.
And we heard from Christ in chapter 2, verse 11-15 of this letter to Timothy,
that the women are not to teach the men or to have authority over the men in the church.
Instead, they are to submit to the leading men of the church by following their leadership
and by learning from their teaching with a quiet spirit.
Now, if that sounds crazy to you or if you're just joining us this morning and weren't here last Sunday,
I would encourage you to listen to last Sunday's sermon on our church website.
It's at davidsonscbc.org.
You can find the address on the bulletin.
Some things in the Bible are hard to hear, especially in light of our current cultural context.
But getting that wider biblical perspective often helps us see what's going on here.
And how, yes, even the instruction that God has given concerning roles in the church is good.
And now Paul is going to write more fully on this issue of leadership in the church
and give specific instructions about this.
We're in chapter 3 here.
Let me just read it for us.
1 Timothy chapter 3.
Here is a trustworthy saying.
Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.
Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,
able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him.
And he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect.
If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?
He must not be a recent convert or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
He must also have a good reputation with outsiders so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
So Paul begins with another trustworthy saying here in verse 1.
Here is a trustworthy saying.
Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task.
It's commendable for a man to desire the role of overseer in the church because the work of overseeing the church is good.
It's a service that's needed.
It's a noble thing.
And therefore, says Paul in verse 2,
we don't let just anybody jump into the leadership of the church.
And what follows is a list of requirements for overseers.
The overseer is to be and then he lists out the requirements from verse 2 to verse 7.
Depending on how you count these things, there are about 15-ish things listed.
Let's start by making some general observations about some of these things.
At least two-thirds of these requirements are character qualities.
Two of the requirements have to do with the man's relationships in his family,
to his wife and to his children specifically.
A couple of these things have to do with his competence or his ability.
He must be able to teach.
He must manage his own family well.
Several of these have to do with his reputation.
He is to be above reproach.
He is to have a good reputation with outsiders.
He is to be respectable.
And then we notice that mixed into this list are a few explanations as to why.
Why does he need to be a man who manages his family well?
Why can't he be a recent convert?
Why a good reputation with others, with outsiders?
What's so important about that?
And reasons are given.
Now we're going to work through this list soon.
But before we do that, let's just take a step back and understand the larger context here.
Otherwise, it's hard to know what a list like this is for.
What's its relevance?
What's an overseer, first of all?
Let's start with that.
In our church today, we don't really call anybody overseer.
But the word here refers to a person who watches over something.
Someone who's responsible to protect, to guard, to see that things go as they should.
And this word often refers to an official position or office.
And Paul gives us a good clue as to what the role of an overseer should be in the church
in verses 4 and 5.
There he spells out the requirement that a man must manage his own family well.
And then he gives this reason.
If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?
So that's the role of an overseer in the church.
His role is to take care of God's church.
Now, we use the term elder more in our church.
And many of you have heard that used or referred to.
What's the relationship between the overseer and the elder?
Well, actually, in the New Testament, overseers and elders,
those terms are really used interchangeably.
Both refer to the same leadership position in the church.
And Paul makes this really clear in his meeting with the elders from Ephesus in the book of Acts, chapter 20.
There we read that Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church.
And then a few verses down in verse 28, this is what he said to the elders.
He said, keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.
Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.
So Paul makes it crystal clear for us.
The elders in the church are the overseers.
Their role, their job, is to keep watch over the flock.
Paul uses the metaphor of shepherding.
Like a shepherd looks after his sheep, so you are to keep watch.
You are to care for, tend the flock, the church, those people in Ephesus that have been bought with God's own blood.
Paul then goes on to give them a warning about how false teachers will arise.
And he continues the metaphor.
He refers to them as wolves.
And he tells the elders to be on guard.
So that's another responsibility of elders or overseers.
Not just to care for the flock, but also to protect the flock.
From wolves, from false teachers, from divisive people.
Then we look to Peter's letter to the churches.
1 Peter, chapter 5.
And he helps deepen our understanding of what an elder is and should do.
1 Peter, chapter 5.
Peter writes,
To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ's sufferings,
who also will share in the glory to be revealed.
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care,
watching over them.
Not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be.
Not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve.
Not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
So here Peter directly addresses the elders among the churches in these various provinces.
And his charge is very similar to Paul's.
What is an elder to do?
He is to shepherd God's flock.
He is to watch over the people in the church.
He is to do so willingly.
He is to do so as a servant.
Not lording it over the people in the church.
Hey, I am in charge.
You need to listen to me.
But instead being an example.
And again, we see that shepherding is at the heart
of being an elder or an overseer.
Next, we look to what Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus itself.
Ephesians chapter 4 verse 11.
Here Paul writes,
This is the only place in the Bible where pastors are mentioned.
And guess what?
The word literally is the word shepherds.
So we might wonder, why has it been translated pastors?
Well, that's actually the Latin word for shepherd.
And it came to be used as a proper title for those who had this position in church history.
And this is where we can start to get some clarity about how the church should be led.
Shepherds or pastors, elders, overseers,
all of these are really referring to the same position of leadership.
Our modern Christian church culture today sometimes gets this mixed up.
We think of the pastor as the full-time professional leader of the church.
But then, what are the elders?
Are they board members?
Are they advisors to the pastor?
Or is it the other way around?
Does the pastor report to the elders?
A careful look at these passages reveals that the elders are the shepherds of the church.
The shepherds of the church are the elders, the overseers.
There's no hierarchy between them.
They all have the same role in the church, which is to shepherd the flock
and to give oversight and leadership to the church.
Now, according to Paul in 1 Timothy,
it does happen that some of the elders in the church end up shepherding full-time.
And in such cases, Paul says they should be compensated for that.
They should be able to get their living from the work that they are doing.
1 Timothy 5, verse 17.
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
For Scripture says,
Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain.
And the worker deserves his wages.
So the paid pastor or elder really is God's idea.
It's a way that those who excel in leadership, preaching, or teaching
can give more of their time to doing that for the benefit of the church.
This passage here in 1 Timothy 5 also implies some other important things about being an elder.
What are the elders responsible for?
It says,
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor,
especially those whose work is preaching and teaching.
Not all of the elders will have it as their primary work to preach or to teach.
But all of them are together engaged in directing the affairs of the church.
Now this action of the elders has been translated in various ways.
Some Bibles will say the elders who rule well or who govern well, who lead well,
are worthy of double honor.
Now some of those terms have baggage in our culture today.
But the overall implication of this word is that it is the elders who are to give leadership to the church.
They're to direct the affairs of the church.
And this word really implies not just doing that kind of work,
but also having some measure of real authority over the people in the church.
This is where last week's instructions concerning men and women begin to make sense.
As we heard last Sunday, women are not permitted to have authority over men in the church.
Well, how could they do that unless there is a position of real authority in the church to be held by some of the men?
Well, the elders, the overseers, are that position.
Now we might wonder, are there other places that confirm this,
that there is this authority structure going on in the church,
that elders are to have authoritative leadership in the church?
There are some other scriptures.
We can go back to 1 Peter.
After he charges the elders to shepherd the flock,
he goes on in verse 5 to say,
in the same way,
you who are younger,
submit yourselves to your elders.
That word submit implies authority.
Probably the clearest statement about this is Hebrews chapter 13, verse 17,
which says this,
Have confidence in your leaders and submit to their authority,
because they keep watch over you as those who must give an account.
Do this so that their work will be a joy,
not a burden,
for that would be of no benefit to you.
So the elders or overseers,
shepherds, leaders,
they are the group of people in the church
who have been given the task
of caring for the people of the church,
watching over them,
protecting the flock,
leading the flock,
directing the affairs of the church.
And this role,
this position,
is an authoritative position.
There is to be an authority structure in the church,
just like there is in the home.
In the family,
the husband is the head of the household.
We saw that last Sunday,
Ephesians chapter 5, verse 23.
He is the one who must manage his household well,
as we just heard,
1 Timothy 3, verses 4 and 5.
And in the church,
it's the elders or overseers
who have been given that authoritative role
for the local church family.
And this authority
has been instituted by God
for the benefit of his people.
What happens
when there are sheep
but no shepherd?
The flock goes nowhere
or the flock scatters.
What happens to the sheep
when they have a bad shepherd?
This is why 1 Timothy 3, verses 1-7
is so important.
These requirements for an elder
not only protect the position of elder,
but they protect the whole local flock
from all kinds of bad things
that can happen
when men who are unfit to lead
seek after authority
and leadership in the church.
These requirements are here
so that the people in the church
who are not leaders
can affirm those who should be
and know clearly,
yep, that guy,
he is an example worth following.
And they are here
so that the people in the church
who are not leaders
can put out of leadership
men who are disqualified
and should not be in leadership.
Many Christians over the years
have made this puzzling statement.
They have said,
the Bible is virtually silent
about how the church should be led.
It doesn't say anything
about what kind of governance model
we should have.
But as we've just seen
looking through these passages,
it's far from the truth.
There's a whole model
given to us by Christ
through his apostles.
And what we see here
in the scriptures
is not board governance
like we see
in secular organizations today.
Instead, we see a plurality
of elders
in each local church
who have authority.
A church that is elder-led.
Now, we might wonder
at this point
if there's a case to be made
for congregationalism.
Congregational decision-making.
And I'm not going to get into this
too much this morning
except to say
that in the New Testament
there are several moments,
important moments
in the life of the church
where the whole church
was involved.
Church discipline
was one of them.
Sending out missionaries
was another.
Rebuking an elder
who had been sinning
is a third.
Now, these things are debated
and they're speculated on.
Did the church actually vote
in these instances?
Was the church
the final court of authority
in these moments
as some suggest?
Or was the church present
simply to help everyone
come to a consensus
guided by the elders?
Was the presence
of the congregation
meant to add
the full weight
and resolve of the church
to the course of action
that was being led
by the elders?
It seems clear
in the Bible
that the congregation
plays a role
in the most important moments
of the local church.
But whether that role
is authoritative decision-making
by voting
is not stated.
What is stated
is that the church
should be elder-led
and that the leaders
or overseers
are the ones
who have authority
in the church.
And so we should
probably go with
what's stated
in the Bible
rather than what's not.
The picture that we're given
in this letter
of 1 Timothy
is that the church
is to operate
like a household
or a family.
And there are times
when the whole family
must be gathered.
I don't know if you guys
do this in your house
but in mine
we call it family meeting
and we bring everybody together
all the kids
together
and that's needed
sometimes
because sometimes
decisions affect everyone.
Sometimes urgent feedback
is needed.
We need to have
a conversation
right now
together as a family
to know what
the best course of action is.
Whether it will suit
the needs of everyone
in the family.
And so I would say
yeah,
congregational meetings
are warranted
at times.
but a fully democratic
style of governance
where the board
comes to the congregation
for approval
seems to be
a little bit backwards.
Let's go now
to the qualifications
for an overseer
here in 1 Timothy
chapter 3.
Let's look through
these things.
Paul says
the overseer
is to be above reproach.
Very simply
this means
that they must have
an excellent reputation.
To be above reproach
means that slander
doesn't stick.
It means that
if anyone was to try
to drag your name
down into the mud
people wouldn't believe them
because you're
so well known
to be the opposite.
The example
I've got written down here
might hit a little
close to home
for someone
visiting with us
this morning
but if someone
began vandalizing
all the flower pots
in Davidson
and then someone else
said I know
who's been
sneaking around
and pouring gasoline
into the flower pots
in the middle
of the night
it's Lana Schmitke
I saw her
with my own eyes
would anybody
believe that?
No
because we all know
Lana
and her love
for flowers
she's on
Communities in Bloom
she helps get
these pots ready
she takes such joy
in beautifying
her yard
and her flowers
when it comes
to flowers
and growing things
Lana is above reproach
the community knows
that it's just a matter
of time
before the true culprit
will be identified
in the same way
an elder must have
this kind of
well known
consistent
steadfast character
when it comes
to his conduct
his actions
his words
Paul says
he must be faithful
to his wife
literally
of
a man
who is
of one woman
the husband
and so sexual
purity
and faithfulness
is a must
he must be temperate
a temperate person
does things
in moderation
they're not given
to rash
or obsessive
behavior
an elder
must be self-controlled
very similar meaning
to temperate
he's not a man
who seems like
he's out of control
or a slave
to passions
or desires
or pleasures
but he's a man
who governs himself
an elder
must be respectable
or honorable
a man
who gathers
the respect
of others
by the way
that he lives
an elder
must be hospitable
we generally
think of hospitality
as
being welcoming
to strangers
or guests
or as entertaining
guests
in the home
but I think
probably the meaning
is a little bit broader
than just having people
over for dinner
regularly
it's about
really caring for
and providing for
the needs
of other people
and being a really
welcoming person
means that I'm on the
lookout for the
newcomer
the stranger
the outcast
and Jesus
is the very best
example
of what it means
to be hospitable
in the Bible
I think also
of the parable
of the good Samaritan
that Jesus told
it paints a picture
of a truly
hospitable person
this character
quality has to do
with being
others focused
it has to do
with going
out of our way
to welcome
and to meet
the needs
of others
and it's
at the heart
of it is love
a character
of love
Paul says
an elder
must be able
to teach
this is one
of the skills
that an elder
must have
now as we said
earlier
not every elder
will end up
doing the work
of teaching
but every elder
must be able
to teach
and this requirement
helps us to see
that it's the
responsibility
of the elders
as a group
to do
the teaching
in the church
it's a big part
of shepherding
the elders are
responsible
to put God's word
before the people
and to call them
to respond
to explain
what God's word
means
and help apply
God's word
to our lives
as a church
and lead us
in that
in obedience
to that
this requirement
is also why
women cannot
be elders
because as we
heard last Sunday
women are not
permitted to teach
men in the church
and teaching
of the church
is a primary
responsibility
of an elder
an elder
must not be given
to drunkenness
addiction
to substances
is a no-go
for a person
aspiring to be
an elder
substances
often have
ill effects
and impair
judgment
and addictions
wreak havoc
in many other
areas of life
as well
an elder
must not be
violent
says Paul
the Greek word
here means
given to fighting
I've never seen
anybody really
throw a punch
in the church
but
think of the
demeanor
or the attitude
of a bully
an elder
must not
be a bully
we're not
to put people
in leadership
in the church
who are
going to be
combative
or manipulative
or who are
known for
really
emotionally
or verbally
bullying others
to get their way
or to get others
to do what they
want them to do
some men
can be like a
bull in a china
shop
don't put those
men in leadership
in the church
says Paul
an elder must not
be violent
but must be
gentle
again
Jesus is the
ultimate role
model here
gentle
does not
mean
compromising
Jesus
spoke the
truth
he rebuked
the hypocrites
the Pharisees
he told that
one man
that he healed
on one occasion
stop sinning
or something
worse may
happen to you
but he was
gentle
through and
through
a bruised
reed
he did not
break
a smoldering
wick
he did not
snuff out
where some of
us might have
wanted to give
someone a swift
kick in the
pants
Jesus was
gentle
think of how
he bore
with those
disciples
they were
always
arguing
and fighting
with each
other
they were
jockeying
for position
he could have
just smacked
them all across
the head
many times
and yet he
patiently sat
down with
them again
and again
and he taught
them
not this
way
but this
way
an elder
must not
be quarrelsome
some translations
render this
positively
an elder must
be peaceable
so not
argumentative
not bent on
getting everybody
else to agree
with their own
ideas or opinions
and then going
into fight
mode when
that person
doesn't comply
or agree
an elder must
not be a
lover of money
this has to
do with
greed
and we
could do
a whole
sermon
on that
but maybe
another time
an elder
must manage
his own
family well
and see
that his
children obey
him and
he must
do so
in a manner
worthy of
full respect
and then
the reason
is given
which we
mentioned
earlier
if anyone
does not
know how
to manage
his own
family
how can
he take
care of
God's
church
so the
family at
home
is the
proving
ground
for whether
someone should
be an elder
in the
church
the church
is the
household
of God
we are a
family
but we are
a bigger
one
and so a
man must
prove himself
with his own
family at
home
before he
is qualified
to serve in
leadership
in the larger
church family
and notice the
way that he
must manage
his family
that's mentioned
here
he must do
so in a
manner worthy
of full
respect
so he must
not be a
man who
verbally abuses
his children
to get them
to submit
or a cruel
man
it's not
just about
good behavior
it's about
how the man
treats his
children
and family
respectably
with dignity
abusive
men are
disqualified
we should
also note
here that
the word
used for
family
it's the
same word
used
elsewhere
through the
letter
for household
and managing
a household
well
is more
than just
the people
it means
overseeing
and taking
responsibility
for the
whole thing
all the
affairs of
the household
and this
is a place
where many
men have
just been
content to
just dump
on their
wives a
burden that
they were
never meant
to bear
like I'll
provide the
finances
I'll go
to work
but you
look after
the rest
when I
come home
I expect
there to be
a meal
hot and
ready
waiting for
me on
the table
and then
I'm going
to go out
most evenings
and I'm
going to
play hockey
and you
know
hang out
with my
friends
no
that's
abdicating
responsibility
men are
to provide
more than
just finances
to the
family
they're to
provide
leadership
and care
they're to
direct the
affairs of
the household
in a manner
worthy of
respect
verse 6
he must not
be a recent
convert
so no new
believers
in leadership
in the church
verse 7
he must also
have a good
reputation
with outsiders
so a good
reputation with
unbelievers
or people
outside the
church
people may
not agree
with us
they may
even find
some of
our beliefs
offensive
or repulsive
but they
ought to
know us
as men
of our
word
who genuinely
care for
others
love others
are kind
are eager
to serve
are eager
to meet
needs
there are
enough
Christian
qualities
enough
Christian
deeds
that are
not
offensive
to win
the respect
of
outsiders
of
unbelievers
even if
some of
what we
believe
is
offensive
to
them
now
this is
quite the
list of
requirements
but there's
just a couple
things we need
to know about
this list
first of all
no man is
perfect
I mean we
can look at
this and
think man
who could
possibly
qualify
we all
have moments
where we
fail to be
temperate
or self
controlled
or gentle
lose a
temper
but do
these things
describe our
general
overall
character
and behavior
is that how
others would
see us
again no man
is perfect
we're all
still sinners
but what
happens when
we blow
it
do we
make excuses
do we
blame
someone else
do we
sin persistently
and keep
doing it
again and
again
or do we
humble
ourselves
before God
and others
confess our
sins and
turn away
from them
with God's
help
second
the question
has been
asked
is this
a bare
minimum
list
or is
this a
lofty
really hard
to achieve
kind of
list
it's
important
to recognize
that a
number of
the qualities
in this
list
are things
that we're
commanded to
be just as
as Christians
in other
letters in the
New Testament
things like
gentle
self-controlled
not given to
drunkenness
so in that
sense this is
kind of a
bare minimum
list
many of
these things
reflect what
a mature
follower of
Jesus is
to be like
on the
flip side
there are
some things
here that
just don't
come easily
we must
pray
we must
wrestle
with the
flesh
because
gentleness
doesn't
come easily
emotions
are powerful
self-control
is not
easy
managing a
household
and a
family well
is not
easy
earning this
kind of a
reputation
with people
is not
easy
and it
takes time
maybe this
is why
overseers
are called
elders
quite literally
older ones
if younger
men attain to
these requirements
it's probably
the exception
rather than
the norm
because these
things take
time to
develop and
grow in the
life of a
believing man
they're the
fruit of an
abiding
relationship
with Jesus
that's been
going on
for some
time
but this
is good
because if
we're going
to install
men
in our
church
into a
leadership
role
where they
have real
authority
over us
and we
are going
to submit
to them
we need
them to
be these
kind of
men
not
domineering
or abusive
or manipulative
or power
hungry
not passive
or abdicating
careless
uninterested
or self
absorbed
we need
them to be
men
of Christ
like character
so finally
we come
to how
this applies
to us
here in
our church
today
and I
have five
things
the first
one
we need
to continue
to shift
away from
a secular
board
governance
style of
leadership
towards the
kind of
shepherding
elder
model of
leadership
that the
scriptures
point us
to
and we
have been
making this
shift over
the past
number of
years
at some
point
we need
to update
our
constitution
to reflect
that
eventually
our current
elders
will be
quite
elderly
where will
our next
elders
come from
men
it's important
that every
one of you
aspires to
be these
things
at the
least
that you
strive to
be men
of character
and live
an example
worth
following
where will
the future
elders
of the
church
come from
well they
must come
from among
us men
here in
the church
now not
all of us
men will
become
elders
not all
of us
are wired
to teach
but at
the least
all of us
can set
that example
for others
in the
church
that's worth
following
as we
men have
been hearing
at lead
we need
to reject
passivity
we need
to accept
responsibility
we need
to lead
courageously
and we
need to
invest
eternally
following the
example of
Jesus Christ
the second
Adam
and not
living in
the shadow
of the
first Adam
those of you
who are
elders
there's only
three of you
in the room
today's not
the day to
pat yourself
on the back
today's the
day to
soberly reflect
over the
things in
this list
and I
want to
encourage
you to
ask yourself
which of
these things
do I need
to grow
in most
the church
is looking
to you
to set
the example
in speech
in faith
in love
in purity
in conduct
those of you
who are
members
when the
time comes
to serve
on the
nominating
committee
or to
affirm a
new man
for the
position
of elder
this is
number four
let's not
just put
someone into
those positions
because they're
willing to
do it
or because
we don't
want to
do it
or because
that person
has experience
in business
or finance
or on
boards
we don't
want to
just ask
someone to
serve as
an elder
because
well they
haven't
really been
asked yet
or how to
turn
and we
don't want
to hurt
their feelings
they must
meet these
requirements
this is why
we've been
given them
and lastly
number five
the scriptures
clearly present
the elders
as having
authority
within the
church
authority
to teach
and to
lead
and to
call the
rest of
us to
believe
and obey
the word
of God
and the
rest of
us are
called to
submit to
their
authority
now we
may not
like this
but the
Lord Jesus
is the
one who
has set
it up
this way
he's the
one asking
this of
us
and many
in our
North
American
churches
have just
lost sight
of this
authority
structure
in the
church
we've
come to
see the
elders
as the
ones
that we
choose
to serve
us
the ones
that we
have
voted
to look
after the
affairs of
the church
so that we
can do
whatever we
want to
do
we've
come to
see
ourselves
as the
final
authority
under
Christ
in the
church
with more
of that
congregationalist
mindset
and then if
one of the
elders says
something or
asks something
I don't
like
I'll just
do as I
please
or I'll
go somewhere
else
I'll find a
new church
now obviously
if the elders
ask something
or teach
something that
is contrary
to the word
of God
you stand
on the word
of God
and take
a brother
or sister
with you
and talk
to that
elder
with love
and respect
and if
we've done
according to
this passage
and put
the right
men
humble
men
into those
positions
then by
the grace
of God
they will
respond
they will
acknowledge
their mistakes
they will
confess
they will
repent
finally
here in
Hebrews
chapter 13
verse 17
we're urged
to submit
to the
authority
of the
leaders
in the
church
because
they keep
watch
over you
as those
who must
give an
account
do this
so that
their work
will be
a joy
not a
burden
for that
would be
of no
benefit
to you
we're told
that the
work of
the leaders
in the
church
can be
a joy
or
it can
be a
burden
and if
we make
it a
burden
to our
leaders
it's of
no benefit
to us
so have
confidence
in your
leaders
and submit
to their
authority
so that
it can be
a joy
for them
that will
bring benefit
to all of
us as a
church family
as the
Lord leads
us
there's lots
more that
we could
say on
this
issue
if you
have
other
thoughts
or
questions
you'd like
to talk
about
this
I mean
there's
so much
we chopped
out of the
message here
there's
books
whole books
written on
this subject
it's an
important
one
but we'll
leave it at
that for
this morning
let's pray
Father in
heaven
we pray
and ask
that you
would give
us each
the grace
that we
need to
follow these
instructions
those of
us who
are currently
in leadership
that we
would be
the way
that you
want us
to be
in our
lives
in our
character
those of
us who
are not
that we
would submit
and follow
the leadership
that you
have raised
up and
appointed
and I
pray that
we would
more and
more learn
to function
like this
as a
church
that we
would operate
the way
that is
pleasing
to you
and that
declares
your goodness
and your
grace
to the
world around
us
we ask
this in
Christ's
name
amen