Title: Identifying Potential Shepherds
Purpose: To motivate the church to encourage potential leaders
Intro: Jorge Rodrigez - Meanest most ornery bandit on Texas Mexican border
Raided banks and race back to Mexico could never catch him
Assigned best Texas Ranger who caught up to him in a Saloon south of border I got you, stick em up and hand over the money Little guy at end of bar, “wait, he no speak english, I his amigo, I translate” Tell him if he doesn’t tell me where the money is, I fill him full of holes” Guy translates, Jorge says ”they got me. The money is under the bridge”Guy tells ranger “He says, go ahead big mouth, shoot, I not tell where money is”
We want faithful trustworhty translations. The Bible gives us some faithful sayings
• Trustworthy sayings: 2 Tim 2:11-13; Titus 3:4-8a
• Trustworthy/faithful sayings are ones people know, are repeated encouraged
• Another faithful saying: I Tim 3:1
• This is the basis of the next 7 verses in I Timothy 3
This morning’s passage is going to deal with identifying shepherds/guardians
Text says that anyone who desires guardianship desires a fine/good work
a. 2 words for good: agathos - upright, just ; kalos - fine, beautiful, honorable
b. Kalos is what is used. It is an HONORABLE work (not a position) he desires
It is followed by “dei ou” - It is necessary therefore...
a. Begins with the most general and moves to more specific
b. He must be “ABOVE REPROACH”, since the work is honorable, he needs to have an honorable character.
c. What follows is outlining what the qualificaitons are
d. Some call them qualities, some call them qualifications.
- They focus on two areas
-Internal - Personal, self discipline, maturity, character (qualities)
-External - Ability to communicate, teach, care for (qualifications)
- Gives public and observable qualities and qualifications
Proposition: An honorable work of gaurdianship calls for an honorable man with ability
what: qualifications/qualities
I. Husband of One Wife
A. He is to be above reproach in his marriage
B. What this means
1. He is to be married man and not single nor a female
a. No ajective for “married”, so would have to say “husband of a wife
b. However, text does not say “A” wife, but “ONE” wife
c. Text is saying more that just he is to be married and not single
2. Must not be a polygamist (married to multiple wives at one time)
a. Dt 21:15-17 - Polygamy was accepted practice, law regulated it
b. Even though it accepted practice, it was not the ideal
- “God made them man and woman, not women”
- Mk 10:6 - God made them male and female from Gen. 2:24
- Gen 4:19 - First practiced in the ungodly line of Cain
- Dt 17:17 - Kings were not to multiply wives for themselves
- Prophets used monogamy to illustrate God’s love for Israel
- Since it is not the ideal, elders should not be polygamists
- Hebrew word for 2nd wife lit. = “rival wife”
c. While this text excludes polygamy, it is probably not the main
thrust of what is being communicated
- Text does not say not to “multiply wives”
- Polygamy was not practiced as much in the first century
3. Must not be a re-married person, married only once in a lifetime
a. Divorce was rampant in 1st century (many documents - divorce decrees
b. However, text says nothing about specifically divorce or remarriage
c. What if a wife dies and the husband remarries?
- No longer husband of one wife. Does this go against God’s ideal?
- Rom 7:1-3 - Freed from marriage covenant by death (Rom 7:39)
- I Cor 7:15, 27-28 - Freed if unbelieving one abandons)
- 2nd marriage is sanctioned
- In either case, it is no reflection on a person’s character
d. Therefore, it cannot be a blanket prohibition against 2nd marriages
4. He is to be faithful to his one wife
a. Grk: “one man woman” (Pointed out be Lloyd Cain and Eugene Brewer)
b. This prohibits both polygamy and promiscuity
c. In 1st century, extra-marital relationships was an accepted practice
- Demosthenes described accepted rule of life: “We have courtesans
for the sake of pleasure, we have concubines for the sake of
cohabitation, we have wives for the purpose of having children
legitimately, and for having a faithful gaurdian for all
our household affairs.”
d. Those who had concubines in O.T. as well (I Kg 11:3 Solomon had 300)
5. All in all he is to be above reproach in his marriage
C. A person who is a known womanizer will not be a good leader or role model
1. Solomon had 300 concubines, his kingship was a disaster even though from
a worldly standpoint it may have looked glorious
2. Our own president is a known womanizer, his presidency was a moral disaster
even though from a worldly standpoint it looks good
D. If a man is a womanizer he is excluded from being an elder
1. Even if his wife decides to “stand by her man”, and he is married only once,
he is still excluded because he is not a one woman man.
2. If she does not stand by her man and he breaks the marriage covenant, he is excluded
3. In either case, it is a reflection on his character. We need honorable men
II. He is to be Temperate, Prudent, Respectable
A. These three are synonymns of each other
B. Explanation
1. Temperate
a. Grk: Sober, clear headed, self controlled, free from excess
b. Means he is not a libertarian, somone controlled by his desire
2. Prudent
a. Bible may say: Sensible, Reasonable, Thoughtful
b. Grk: Self controlled, of sound judgement
3. Respectable
a. Grk: Respectable, honorable, modest, well behaved
b. Used in I Tim 2:9 - Women not to overdress (free from excess)
4. In other words, be clear-level headed, doesn’t jump gun, quick to hear
ILL; State Trooper pulls over a lady on a lonely back road
“Ma’am is there any reason why you were swerving all over the road?” “Oh officer, thank goodness you’re here, I almost had accident” There was a tree in front of me, I swerved, and there was another I swerved and there was another, and another
Officer reaches into the car and pulls off something from rear view mirror Ma’am, that’s you air freshner
. This illustrates what happens when someone has knee jerk reaction
1. When looking for honorable men, you are looking for level headed men
2. You are looking for wise men who are prudent, respectable, self-controlled
III. Hospitable
A. Word originated from two words: philea and xenos - lover of strangers
B. A Greek class assigned to study story of Good Samaritan in Lk 10
1. These young theologians were to do in-depth grammatical analysis
2. They were to write their own translation and commentary
3. Like most language classes, three students cared more about practical
implications than intellectual stimulation
4. Three got together and had a plan to prove a point:
a. One played part as alleged victim, torn clothes, bruises, hair
b. Marked up face so not recognizable
c. Placed him on path from dormitory to classroom
5. One by one, students stepped over him, some said things to him
6. No one stopped to help
7. Their academic work was flawless, handed in on time and insightful
C. I John 3:16-17
1. Typically think of table cloths, place settings, turkey or ham with hospitality
a. That is not what it is all about
b. Remember Mary and Martha
- One was fussing over all the things and the other enjoying the
company
- Hospitability is about PEOPLE
2. So Being a guardian is hands on work, not just a position
3. The home is the greatest place to be able to reach people and care for them
D. When looking for an elder
1. You are looking for someone who has a concern for others
2. You are looking for someone who does not hesitate to meet a need
IV. Able to teach
A. Does this mean he is to be a dynamic eloquent speaker who can hold an audience?
1. Paul did not use eloquent words of wisdom in I Cor 2:1-4
2. I Cor 3:10-15 - Be careful how you build. Dont draw attention to your abilities
B. Parallel instruction in Titus 1:9
1. Hold fast to the faithful word
a. He is to know his Bible
b. The word is faithful, not any human ability or wisdom (grounded in Bible)
2. Why hold fast to the word?
a. To be able to exhort (syn: appeal, urge, encourage, comfort) in sound
doctrine
b. To be able to refute (correct) those who contradict (oppose)
3. Use healthy doctrine to build up a healthy church. Fits in with shepherding
C. We had man who mentored us in Plattsmouth
1. Was an elder at one time, even not had them, he still was shepherding
2. He was actually quite boring in the pulpit
3. However, he was a great mentor, a great shepherd
4. Always looking out for us. They brought a casserole when we were sick
5. He was a quite man, but full of wisdom
6. If it were not for him, we may not be with the Lord right now
D. Not looking for dynamic speaker, but who holds fast to the faithful word to exhort
in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict
Concl:
1. One who desires guardianship desires an honorable work
2. This honorable work requires men with honorable character (above reproach)
3. Review:
a. Is to be honorable in marriage
b. Is to be honorable in his demeaner (temperate, prudent and respectable)
c. Is to be honorable in honorable in caring for others (hospitable)
d. Is to be honorable in teaching (able to build up in sound doctrine)
4. These are things we all should strive for
5. Those of you with a heart of a shepherd, take this to heart
6. Keep these in mind, because when the time comes to appoint elders, these are things we will have to consider.
