Scripture Introduction
The Bible chapter God has for us today, may seem, at first, related only to a few: “What help for me comes from the qualifications for overseer or deacon?” Before we hear the passage, therefore, please consider two thoughts.
First, the aim and dynamic (what godliness looks like and how to get there) for godliness as a leader in the church is the same as for all Christian maturity. In officer training we are using this wonderful book by Oswald Chambers, Spiritual Leadership. The subtitle is: Principles of Excellence for Every Believer. He is correct—the principles apply whether you aspire to be a deacon or an excellent math teacher. This passage teaches all who desire to live a godly life.
Second, please be aware that “living is leading.” We do not elect everyone to church office, but leadership is inescapable. When Johnny offers quick and cheerful obedience at home, he leads his younger siblings. When Betsy readily respects and honors her music teacher, she leads fellow students to the joy of conforming their lives to the fifth commandment. When John stands at work against copying software, he leads fellow employees to value character over the expediencies of a quick profit. This chapter teaches all who desire godliness. [Read 1Timothy 3.1-16. Pray.]
Introduction
Two cookies remain. One is soft, fluffy, bulging with chocolate chips. The other is a bit flat, slightly overcooked, a little too hard, and (we might say), “chocolate chip challenged.”
Each of your three children greedily eyes the treasures, plotting how they will score the better one. The eldest already gobbled two near-perfect specimens and is enjoying his third. The youngest is close behind. She is eating her second, but they were both good ones, and she wants the fluffy, chip-filled third so as to equal her big brother. The middle child has eaten only one; and because she chose poorly when the plate passed earlier, hers was not prime. She begins to whine, an advance warning of her intention to get the better one.
Suddenly your oldest stuffs in his third cookie and reaches for the fluffy, favored, fourth. You stop him: “You have already had three cookies; you must give that one to your sister.” He responds: “Do I have to? She had more cookies the other day.”
We then say (and forgive me for getting personal, but this is where we sometimes fail as parents), we say, “Yes you must; drop it now!” Or we say, “Don’t be so greedy and selfish!” Or “How would you like it if you had eaten only one cookie and your sister took the better one for her fourth?” We have answers; but sometimes we appeal to the flesh for the reason and the motivation.
Must the eldest give up the better cookie? Yes, but what kind of “must”? The battle for faith and godliness is fought more often around the kitchen table than in the Roman Coliseum. Certainly there are times when God calls his people to give up life and liberty for faithfulness to Jesus. One of the most profoundly deep and rich verses in the Bible is Galatians 2.20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.” Standing against the world, the flesh, and the devil may require that we prove there is something more precious than this life—by dying rather than denying the faith. But far more common is the call to deny self and serve others for faithfulness to Jesus. After all, when Paul wrote Galatians 2.20, he was not awaiting execution. He was, though, dying to self and living to Christ.
Must the eldest give up the cookie? Yes, but with what kind of “must”? The kind in Galatians; the same as in 1Timothy 3.16. A “must” which gets at “the mystery of godliness”; a “must” which drives us (and our children) to Jesus.
Careful thinking is necessary, lest we forget that grabbing the fourth cookie reveals a greedy heart needing a Savior’s redemption. Unless we guard our mouths, we may inadvertently communicate: “If you drop the cookie, all is well.” We may offer “life” by obedience to the law of dropping a cookie, but the law cannot give life! Certainly dropping the cookie is the correct and necessary outward behavior, but the “mystery of godliness” is not conformity to the law, but Christ living in me.
I begin with a greedy child so that, hopefully, we will see that this applies to each of us, not just church officers. The “mystery of godliness” applies when you must speak graciously of the co-worker who gossips behind your back. The “mystery of godliness” applies when you must wait for a Christian man though you want to be married right now. The “mystery of godliness” applies when you must love your wife when she is not particularly submissive. The “mystery of godliness” applies when you must be scrupulously honest at work though you may not survive without cutting a few corners. And the “mystery of godliness” applies when you seek maturity in your life and you look for it in your leaders.
My goal is twofold. First, I want us to see together what this chapter says about overseers and deacons, and with them, all leadership. At the same time, I will attempt to pull this together by showing you how the “mystery of godliness” is the means for maturity in our walk with God.
1. Because Leadership “Limits” the Church, We Must Live in the Mystery of Godliness
It may seem wrong to invest leadership with the power to limit the church, as much as we stress the sovereignty of God. How could the character of church officers constrain God’s work?
We certainly know that God is absolutely sovereign. Psalm 115.3: “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” Proverbs 21.30: “No wisdom, no understanding, no counsel can avail against the LORD.” And as Job learned and said to God with awe and humility: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42.2).
We even state this doctrine in our confession of faith, quoting Ephesians 1.11: “God…works all things according to the counsel of His own immutable and most righteous will” (Westminster Confession 2.1).
And yet, God has entrusted the work of his kingdom to his church, and therefore, her leaders. When Jesus was here, he spent the most time with three, much time with the twelve, some time with the hundreds, and a little time with the multitude. Why? Because he was preparing men to lead God’s people to follow faithfully in his footsteps. Jesus knew that the church would progress only as far as these men could lead.
The same is true today. Oswald Chambers (consulting director for Oversees Missionary Fellowship and an internationally known preacher), wrote in Spiritual Leadership, “Churches grow in every way when they are guided by strong, spiritual leaders with the touch of the supernatural radiating in their service. The church sinks into confusion and malaise without such leadership…. If those who hold influence over others fail to lead toward the spiritual uplands, then surely the path to the lowlands will be well worn” (18-19).
Godly leaders are essential to the growth of those under them:
• They set a vision which excites people to reach beyond where they first thought their limits to be
• They encourage ministry in the power of Christ rather than from their own weaknesses
• They solve problems and promote reconciliation so as to prevent Satan from gaining a foothold
• They pray fervently, bringing God’s Spirit down to empower every work that is attempted
• They set an example of faith, hope and love, spurring all of us on to good works
The character of church leadership is critical because our growth in Christlikeness is limited by their lives. Hebrews 13.7 tells us to imitate the faith of our leaders. They watch out for us; they model Christian living for us; and they teach us the truth—both with the words of their mouths and with the ways of their lives.
The same is true at home and work. Parents, your children need most from you godly character. Ladies, your husband needs most your conformity to Christ. Teachers, your students need most to see Jesus in you.
My friend in St. Louis, when if he offers you a complement, says, “You smell like Jesus.” He is not referring to the fact that people in Jesus’ day rarely took baths. He is saying this: “I see Christ in you.” That is the mystery of godliness—Christ in you producing character which smells like Jesus.
2. Because Relationships Are the “Currency” of Leadership, We Must Live in the Mystery of Godliness
The list of qualifications in 1Timothy three and Titus one stubbornly refuses organization. Most pastors and Bible scholars simply list and quickly define each word. I have done something similar for you in the Officer Qualification Guide—each character trait is listed and questions further explore its meaning. That is valuable and part of the process.
But notice also that every trait listed is about relationships. How does the leader relate to God, to his wife, to his children, to those in the church and those outside? And how does he relate to things, to wealth and wine?
Certainly a leader in the church must know the Bible and theology. But its is possible to memorize the answers and smell nothing like Jesus to God’s people.
Sanders: “How we handle relationships tells us much (most) about our potential for leadership.”
R. E. Thompson, suggest these five leadership test questions:
1) Do other people’s failures annoy or challenge you?
2) Do you “use” or cultivate people?
3) Do you direct or develop people?
4) Do you criticize or encourage people?
5) Do you shun or seek those with special needs or problems?
In our branch of the church, we value intellectual achievement that seems to equate leadership with going into the library and come out with the right answer. Certainly, God calls church officers who know the scriptures, who can counsel the word, and who can teach and maintain true doctrine. But the overwhelming emphasis in these lists is how he relates to people. Great indeed is the mystery of godliness:
Jesus was manifested in the flesh,
Jesus was vindicated by the Spirit,
Jesus was seen by angels,
Jesus was proclaimed among the nations,
Jesus was believed on in the world,
Jesus was taken up in glory.
The character of godly leaders reveals they have died with Christ, and the life they live is hidden with him in God (cf. Colossians 3.3). The relationships of leadership require that we smell like Jesus.
3. Because Character Limits Leadership, We Must Live in the Mystery of Godliness
Clearly the Bible values godliness. A leader in the church must be a man of God. He must demonstrate a maturity of faith and a fullness of the Holy Spirit.
A. W. Tozer, writing about the importance of personal holiness in Christians, says: “Whoever would be indwelt by the Spirit must judge his life for any hidden iniquities. He must expel from his heart everything that is out of accord with the character of God as revealed by the Holy Scriptures. There can be no tolerance of evil, no laughing off the things that God hates. No joys are valid, no delights legitimate where sin is allowed to live in life or conduct…. ‘Be ye holy’ is not a mere motto to be framed and hung on the wall. It is a serious commandment from the Lord of the whole earth.”
What Tozer says to all Christians applies doubly to those who aspire to the privilege of office in the church. Look at the summary in 1Timothy 3.2: “Therefore an overseer must be above reproach.” No wonder the Apostle Paul cried out, in seeming desperation, “Who is sufficient for these things?” 2Corinthians 2.16.
Please do not flatter yourself, thinking, “I’m glad I’m not in leadership.” There is no neutrality—people do look at you, you do lead, either for good or for ill.
Who is sufficient for these things? Who is godly enough to lead the church? Who is mature enough to raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord? Who is ready to submit to her own husband as to the Lord? Who is able love his wife as Christ loved the church, giving himself for her?
Paul goes on to answer his own question. Who is sufficient? 2Corinthians 3.5: “Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God.”
Great is the mystery of godliness: God has come in the flesh. God is our sufficiency. God must make mature leaders.
The key to understanding officer qualification is not simply the list of rules. The list is essential; for no one may lead God’s church unless he have these character traits.
But as important as the godliness described is the mystery of how it is attained: is it the goodness of self, or the grace of Jesus?
Richard Sibbes (Divine Meditations): “Poverty of spirit should accompany us all our life long to let us see that we have no righteousness nor strength of our own for sanctification…. That which oftentimes makes us miscarry in the duties of our callings is this, we think we have strength and wisdom sufficient, and then what is begun in self-confidence is ended in shame. We set about duties in our own pride and strength of parts, and find no better success; therefore it is always a good sign that God will bless our endeavors, when out of a deep sense of our own weakness, we in prayers and supplications like our Lord also water our business with strong crying and tears (cf. Hebrews 5.7).”
4. Conclusion
So what do we do with our child’s selfishness? The law is good; he must be told that selfishness is sin. But he must not believe that dropping the cookie is the whole solution.
What if we say this: “My son, I love you. But I noticed you grabbed the better cookie for yourself. That certainly reveals selfishness, doesn’t it? I am sad for you, but glad this happened, because God’s law has shown your heart’s sin. I will force you to give up the cookie, but neither you nor I can fix the heart. The good news is that God promises to cure our hearts when we trust him for two things: 1) that selfishness is ugly and 2) that he will change us. Jesus not only forgives selfishness, but takes away our heart of greed. God promises to make you generous, just like he is!
“Now I know how big this problem can seem because I have it too. God has been good to me and I make a lot of money. Yet my heart is reluctant to give away more than I must. But I will pray for your selfishness and you will pray for mine, and we will begin right now to live to God by being generous — you will give the better cookie to your sister and we will both give extra (above our tithe) this Sunday. Let’s pray now, asking God for the generous hearts he has promised, and let’s thank him for already starting to change us.”
Does the law condemn selfishness? You better believe it does! But I can release my grasp of the cookie and greed still grip my heart. The law shows me the need for the gospel; grace alone (as promised in the gospel alone) can conform me to the law. This is the mystery of godliness.
You know the story of the pastor who asked all the kids up front to give a children’s sermon. He said, “OK, kids, what’s brown and furry and eats nuts and acorns?” The kids stared at him, refusing to speak. So he said, “You know, it has a big bushy tail and runs around in trees and stands on its little hind legs?” The kids still had these blank looks on their faces. Finally, one boy blurted out, “Well, it sounds like a squirrel, pastor, I know the answer in church is always, ‘Jesus.’”
The answer is Jesus. The mystery of godliness is not that we have men who are so strong in the faith and so well read in theology and so advanced in studies. It is that we have men who are so dependent on God’s grace. They will have godly character; but in must be character that comes out of the fact that they smell like Jesus. You think about that.
