WHO RUNS THE CHURCH
Part 2: The Ordained Officers of the Church
The story is told of a terrible traffic accident. Police officers were called to the scene and when they arrived they found a husband, wife, and 2 children lying unconscious in the car. They pulled them from the car, and as they waited for the paramedics to arrive they noticed a monkey in the car also. Seeing that the monkey was the only witness to the accident who was conscious, the officers decided to question him about the accident. Turning to the monkey they asked, “What was the dad doing at the time of the accident?” The monkey motioned, indicating that the dad had been drinking. The officers next asked what the mother had been doing at the time of the accident. The monkey took his finger and shook it angrily at the unconscious man. The officers then asked what the children had been doing. The monkey this time indicated by hand gestures that the children had been fighting in the back seat. The officers said, “Well, no wonder there was an accident with all of that going on in the car.” As they turned to leave, almost as a parting thought they asked, “By the way, what were you doing at the time of the accident?” To which the monkey signed that he had been the one driving.
My friends, I am afraid that there are many churches today headed for trouble. There are many churches heading for an accident because they do not understand God’s design for the church. They do not understand God’s call for leadership, and as a result they have allowed the noisiest moneys in the group to run the church. My friends, noise does not equal leadership.
If you remember, last week we looked at the priesthood of the believer. Looking at the Bible we said that every believer, has the ability to approach God himself. At the same time, God says in,
> 1 Corinthians 14:40 But everything must be done decently and in order.
In order for things to be done orderly in the church, God set aside leaders. In Philippians 1:1 Paul identifies two ordained officers in the church.
> Philippians 1:1 Paul and Timothy, slaves of Christ Jesus: To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are Philippi, including the overseers and deacons.
In this verse Paul identifies the 2 ordained offices as Bishops and deacons. The “bishop” here, is the pastor. 3 words are used in the New Testament to describe the pastor. The words are used interchangeably. He is called an “elder” (presbuteros), a “bishop” (episkopos), and a “pastor” or “shepherd” (poimen). All refer to the same man. (W. A. Criswell, Great Doctrines of the Bible, Vol. 3; Zondervan, 1983. p. 100)
For example, look with me in Titus 1:5.
- Titus 1:5-7
If you’ll notice, the terms “elder” and “overseer” are used interchangeably. Two ordained offices of leadership in the church. This morning I would like to look some at those two offices.
- 1 Timothy 3:1-13
This passage mentions the 2 ordained offices in the church and the qualifications for those offices. Notice of you will, the similarities.
I. QUALIFICATIONS FOR ORDAINED LEADERSHIP
1. Good reputations – Verse 2, and verse 8 say that these leaders are to be worthy of respect or above reproach. In other words, ordained leaders in the local church are to have good reputations in the church and in the community.
Almost nothing can harm the reputation and effectiveness of the church more than having leaders that have bad reputations in the community. I remember, years ago, when my family was in the building material business, that some of the people we had the most trouble getting to pay their bills, were pastors. One of the men who ended up sticking us for a great deal of money was the son-in-law, of a pastor, and a leader in his church.
My friend, if you are going to steal from people in the community, if you are going to live in a way that brings dishonor to yourself and your church, then you have no business leading in this or any other church. Pastors and deacons are to men with good reputations.
2. Husbands with one wife – Ordained leaders are to have no more than one wife. Paul is writing at a time when many men had more than one wife. The Bible says, one, and no more than one wife. Now, there are those who believe this passage disqualifies men who have been divorced. I do not. Does the Bible teach that God intended for men and women to get married and to stay married for life? Yes it does. Do many people sin when they get divorced? Yes, and many also sin when they get married and are unequally yoked. It is God’s plan for you to wait to marry until you find a godly man, or a godly woman to share your life with, and then for you to stay together. But, my friends, divorce is not the unpardonable sin. If Jesus could call Paul, the man who persecuted, imprisoned, and supported the stoning of Christians; if Jesus could call, forgive, and use him in the church, then He can use people who have divorced as well.
Ordained leaders are to have good reputations, no more than one wife, and they are to be spiritually mature.
3. Spiritually Mature – vvs 6, 9 – Ordained leaders are to be spiritually mature. They need to understand the gospel. They need to understand what they believe and why they believe it. It’s not enough that they heard a preacher say something and they grabbed a hold of it. They must know what they believe for themselves. They need to know how to share their faith and be actively doing so, looking for opportunities to tell other people about the hope that is within them. They need to be men of the Word, “studying to show themselves approved unto God, workmen that need not be ashamed, rightly dividing the Word of truth.”
A number of years ago, I heard a man say that all you had to do to become a deacon in his church was to regularly attend services Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night. Church leaders need to be actively involved in the life of the church. They need to be actively attending and participating in worship, but there is more to it than that. They must be spiritually mature, and the Bible says that they are to be tested in order to check that maturity.
4. Leaders at home – vvs 4-5, 12
These verses tell us that ordained leaders in the church must be leaders in their homes as well. It amazes me, the number of men, brow-beaten by their wives, playing 2nd fiddle to a poodle pup in their own homes, without enough power of God in their lives to blow the fuzz off a peanut, who think they ought to be leaders in the church.
Gentlemen, whether you are ordained leaders in the church or not, you are called to be the leader and especially the spiritual leader in your home. You are to love your wives as Christ loved the church. You are to lead your home as Christ leads the church. You are to model for your children what a man of God, what a godly dad, what a godly husband, is.
Make up your mind right now, that you will be that man. You will set the spiritual tone for your home. You will walk with God, you will work with God, you will follow God and commit to pave the way, to clear the path for your wife and your children. For crying out loud, grow up. Be a man. It doesn’t take much of a man to do, and to act, like the world does. Be different. Commit right now, I going to walk with God. I’m going to trust in God. I’m going to serve God, and come hell or high water, I’m going to do everything in my power to take my family with me. Ordained leaders are to be leaders in their own homes.
All ordained leaders, pastors and deacons, are to have good reputations, they are to have no more than one wife, they are to be spiritually mature, and they are to be leaders at home. Those things they have in common, but there are some differences.
5. Servant Leaders – All ordained leaders must lead, must serve, with a servant’s heart.
- Matthew 23:8-12
Your goal, your call as ordained leaders, is to serve. You aren’t called to blow your own horn. You aren’t called because you want recognition, or power. Ordained leaders must serve with humility and with servant’s hearts.
II. DIFFERENCES IN ORDAINED LEADERSHIP
1. Pastors must be able teachers – v2, Verse 2 says that pastors must have the ability to teach. Now, many deacons teach. Being spiritually mature, and spiritual leaders, I pray that some do. But the ability to teach, whether one-on-one, in a class setting, or preaching; is a requirement placed on pastors that is not placed on deacons. Deacons may be called to lead in other areas.
What a great responsibility goes with teaching. James says, “Don’t many of you desire to teach, for you are held to a higher accountability.”
2. Their rewards are different –
Both deacons are pastor receive special rewards because of their service, but the rewards they receive are different.
a. Pastors receive –
Financial support –
- 1 Timothy 5:17-18
Honor –
- Hebrews 13:17 Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account, so that they can do this with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.
A Pastor’s Crown –
- 1 Peter 5:1-5
5 crowns are mentioned in the Bible: the victor’s crown (1 Cor. 9:25), the soul winner’s crown (1 Thess. 2:19), the crown for those who look for His coming ( 2 Tim. 4:8), the martyr’s crown ( James 1:12), and the pastor’s crown (1 Peter 5:4).
Pastors receive certain rewards for their callings. Deacons, likewise enjoy rewards for serving.
b. Deacons receive –
- A reward on earth – 1 Timothy 3:13
A good standing. Deacons who serve faithfully receive honor and esteem and appreciation from those they serve. You cannot faithfully serve God’s people, without being noticed. You receive a reward on earth. You also receive a reward in heaven.
- A reward in heaven – 1 Corinthians 3:11-15 You will be rewarded in heaven for your service.
3. Their calling is different –
a. Pastors must equip the saints
- Acts 6:1-4, Pastors are assigned the primary responsibility of prayer and preaching. It is the pastor’s job to equip the saints. To prepare saints for service. …
b. Deacons must minister to the saints
Acts 6:1-4
It is the deacons’ primary job to take care of the physical needs of the body. They are to be busboys and waiters.
Oh my friends, there is no greater witness and strength in the world than a layman who is dedicated and sold out to God, serving as God has called him to serve.
Leave it to the ministers,
And soon the church will die;
Leave it to the women folk,
And some will pass it by;
For the church is all that lifts us
From the coarse and selfish mob,
And the church that is to prosper
Needs the laymen on the job.
Now a layman has his business,
And a layman has his joys,
But he also has the training
Of little girls and boys;
And I wonder how he’d like it
If there were no churches here
And he had to rear his children
In a godless atmosphere.
It’s the church’s special function
To uphold the finer things,
To teach the way of living
From which all the noble springs;
But the minister can’t do it
Single-handed and alone,
For the laymen of the country
Are the church’s corner stone.
When you see a church that’s empty,
Tho’ the doors are opened wide,
It’s not the church that’s dying;
It’s the laymen who have died;
For it’s not by song or sermon
That the church’s work is done;
It’s the laymen of the country
Who for God must carry on.
(Ibid, p.104; Poem by Edgar A. Guest).
