The OVERSEER’s FITNESS-VI—1Timothy 3:1-7
Oversight of the local church requires a certain fitness.
Need:
Paul related the moral qualifications for an overseer of the Church.
Character traits for overseers of the church are definitive/unequivocal.
?What character traits define an overseer’s fitness for office?
?How is an overseer’s fitness determined?
Characteristics by which an overseer’s fitness for office is decided.
In previous weeks we have found that An overseer’s fitness for office is decided by His...
1. DESIRE(:1)
2. BLAMELESSNESS(:2a)
3. MARITAL COMMITMENT(:2b)
4. EMOTIONAL STABILITY(:2c)
5. SELF-CONTROL(:2d)
6. ORDERLINESS(:2e)
7. OPENNESS Toward STRANGERS(:2f)
8. TEACHING(:2g)
9. His SOBRIETY(:3a)
10. His TEMPERAMENT(:3b)
11. His FINANCIAL PROWESS(:3c)
12—An overseer’s fitness for office is decided by...
His CHILDREN’s REGARD(:4-5)
Explanation: (:4-5)Regard
:4—“one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence
Parallel passages:
1Tim 3:12—[Regarding Deacons]“Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children & their own houses well.”
Titus 1:5-6—“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, & appoint elders[bishops] in every city as I commanded you-- if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.”
The focus of this passage is upon the overseer’s children. The upbringing of the bishop’s children sheds much light upon whether his belief is real or feigned.
This speaks to those who would say that the father of a household should distance himself from domestic duties, leaving it solely to the mother. It is important for a father to be a Daddy.
This of course, reflects upon the wife & mother of the children as well.
“Manages His Home Well - His family & home are in order, not in chaos. His children are polite & respectful.”—Pastoral Ad
“Rules”[See :5, 12]—proisthmi—To set or place before—To set over, 1b) to be over, to superintend, preside over, To be a protector or guardian, 1c1) To give aid, 1d) to care for, give attention to, 1d1) Profess honest occupations.
“House”[See :12]—oikov—A house; 2) The inmates of a house, all the persons forming one family, a household; 2a) The family of God, of the Christian Church, of the church of the Old & New Testaments; 3) Stock, family, descendants of one.
“Well”[See :12, 13]—kalwv—Beautifully, finely, excellently, well. Strong—Well(usually morally).
“Children”[See :12]—teknon—Offspring, children. Emphasizes the idea of descent, giving prominence to the physical & outward aspects.
“Submission”—upotagh—The act of subjecting; Obedience, subjection.
“Reverence”—semnothv—The characteristic of a thing or person which entitles to reverence & respect, dignity, majesty, sanctity; 2) Honor, purity.
:5—(for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);”
The prerogative of the overseer of a local(& otherwise) church must live out his headship at home. Headship of these two areas(home & church) are so closely associated, that one can be said to directly inform the other.
1Tim. 3:14-15—“These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar & ground of the truth.”
Pastoral Ad—“Manages His Home Well - His family & home are in order, not in chaos. His children are polite & respectful. His finances are in order.”
“Know how”—eidw—To see; To know—Know how, be skilled in.
“Rule”[See :4, 12]—proisthmi—To set or place before—To set over, 1b) to be over, to superintend, preside over, To be a protector or guardian, 1c1) To give aid, 1d) to care for, give attention to, 1d1) Profess honest occupations.
“Take care of”—epimeleomai—To take care of a person or thing.
“Church”—ekklhsia—A gathering of citizens called out from their homes into some public place, an assembly. Also an assembly, but including only those specially called together out of a larger multitude, for the transaction of business. ekklhsia usually denotes a somewhat more select company than sunagwgh. The lawful assembly in a free Greek city of all those possessing the rights of citizenship, for the transaction of public affairs.
Argumentation:
Ps. 127:4-5—“Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one’s youth. Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them; They shall not be ashamed, But shall speak with their enemies in the gate.”
Ex. 20:12—““Honor your father & your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the LORD your God is giving you.”
Lev. 19:3—“‘Every one of you shall revere his mother & his father, & keep My Sabbaths: I am the LORD your God.”
Reverence is both taught & earned from both parents!
Eph. 6:1-4—“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father & mother,” which is the first commandment with promise: “that it may be well with you & you may live long on the earth.” And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training & admonition of the Lord.”
Ex. 21:15, 17—““And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.”.....““And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.”
Deut. 21:18-21—““If a man has a stubborn & rebellious son who will not obey the voice of his father or the voice of his mother, & who, when they have chastened him, will not heed them, “then his father & his mother shall take hold of him & bring him out to the elders of his city, to the gate of his city. And they shall say to the elders of his city, ‘This son of ours is stubborn & rebellious; he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton & a drunkard.’ “Then all the men of his city shall stone him to death with stones; so you shall put away the evil from among you, & all Israel shall hear & fear.”
Lk. 2:41-51—“His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up to Jerusalem according to the custom of the feast. When they had finished the days, as they returned, the Boy Jesus lingered behind in Jerusalem. And Joseph & His mother did not know it; but supposing Him to have been in the company, they went a day’s journey, & sought Him among their relatives & acquaintances. So when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, seeking Him. Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them & asking them questions. And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding & answers. So when they saw Him, they were amazed; & His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father & I have sought You anxiously.” And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. Then He went down with them & came to Nazareth, & was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart.”
Illustration:
Stern or serious professor or teacher—My high School teachers of note—Jerry Peck(Biology) or ‘Mean’ Jean McCombs(Typing/They taught us well/Though we may not have made the best of grades in their class, we learned much more than parroting the material/There was oen biology teacher I had who was so oblivious that students took open book tests without his knowing it!!/I had no respect for that teacher/We took home life lessons from those who pushed us/His CHILDREN’s REGARD
My Daddy/I didn’t always agree with him(as children do) but I always recognized that he loved me & respected his choices regarding me/He tried hard to raise me correctly—to fear God & be a good citizen/His CHILDREN’s REGARD
Application:
?Does your pastor exemplify godly CHILDREN’s REGARD?
?Your Pastor Fit for Office?
?How do you measure up regarding the same qualifications?
1Tim. 5:19—“Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.”
13—An overseer’s fitness for office is decided by...
His EXPERIENCE(:6)
Explanation: (:6)Thinking he’s ‘all that!’
:6—“not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil.”
*How is it possible for a beginner/newbie to rise above ‘beginning’ ministry if he is not to be a “novice”? This seems to describe someone who is not so much new to ministry as it describes his being new to Christianity. Both are tied together. A newby to Christianity has not come to grips with his own weaknesses & limitations. He has not yet surrendered his flesh within all the realms to which he will be pushed/driven by pastoral ministry.
We cannot use this verse to say that one can lose their salvation(“condemnation of the devil”). It is speaking of the qualifications of a man of God’s choosing & how to determine those qualities from a human perspective.
This is a statement on the sin of “pride.” This is the same sin which condemned the devil to eternal condemnation. But how are we able to apply the same “condemnation” to a Christian pastor? No one can be “condemned eternally” unless he has rejected Christ outright.
This is not necessarily eternal condemnation. However it is definitely an official, judicial judgment made by God regarding the character of said “novice.”
However, we can see “condemnation” or judgment in this context as 2Thess. 1:9’s description of hell as not mere “eternal destruction” but it is also qualified as being “away from the presence of the Lord & from the glory of His power.”
Therefore, the pastor who has become “puffed up with pride” has committed the same sin as “the devil” himself. He is in the same league as “the devil.” Such an overseer/bishop will thus indeed suffer the “same condemnation.” His sin thus separates him from God’s desire. It separates him from the presence of the Lord & from the glory of the Lord’s power. In pride’s temporal reality, such a “bishop” will certainly be separated from the openly public & corporate manifestation of God in the Church.
This separation is temporary(for the true Christian) in that it is contingent upon the pastor’s/bishop’s repentance. He can choose to live in his ‘sin of pride’ on this earth & lose his rewards or he can turn to the Lord with a repentant heart & experience the Lord’s presence again.
*Pastoral oversight is never about the pastor’s charisma or ability. It is about his living in the reality that such ‘ability’ & ‘charisma‘ are gifts of God to be wielded in His power & at His direction. Its always about God’s glory & the pastor rightly claiming God’s grace & leadership...not merely with flattering words(feigned humility) but in reality.
Pastoral Ad—‘Not a New Christian - He has proven experience as a faithful follower of Jesus.’
“Novice/New convert/Recent convert”—neofutov—Adj.—Newly planted. 1a) A new convert, neophyte(one who has recently become a Christian). used 1X.
From —fuw—meaning to beget, bring forth, produce; To be born, spring up or grow; To shoot forth, spring up.
English—Neophyte—A person who is new to a subject, skill, or belief.
“Puffed up with pride/Lifted up with pride/Conceited”—The words, “With pride” is an addition—tufow—To raise a smoke, to wrap in a mist; 2) To blind with pride or conceit, to render foolish or stupid. Strong—To envelop with smoke, i.e. figuratively--To inflate with self-conceit. Used 3X.
From—tufw—1) To cause or emit smoke, raise a smoke; 2) To smoke.
“Fall”—empiptw—To fall into—a)Among robbers or b)Into one’s power. Strong—To fall on, i.e. literally--To be entrapped by, or figuratively--Be overwhelmed with. Used 7X.
“Condemnation”—krima—A decree, judgments; 2) Judgment; 3) A matter to be judicially decided, a lawsuit, a case in court. Strong—A decision(the function or the effect, for or against ["crime"]).
“Devil”—diabolov—Prone to slander, slanderous, accusing falsely; 2) metaph. applied to a man who, by opposing the cause of God, may be said to act the part of the devil or to side with him. Strong—A traducer; specially--Satan[compare Njs saw-tawn'].
Argumentation:
Pride/Conceit/Thinking I’m ‘all that!’:
Hab 2:4—““Behold the proud, His soul is not upright in him; But the just shall live by his faith.”
1Cor. 10:1-13—“Moreover, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware that all our fathers were under the cloud, all passed through the sea, all were baptized into Moses in the cloud & in the sea, all ate the same spiritual food, & all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them, & that Rock was Christ. But with most of them God was not well pleased, for their bodies were scattered in the wilderness. Now these things became our examples, to the intent that we should not lust after evil things as they also lusted. And do not become idolaters as were some of them. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat & drink, & rose up to play.” Nor let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, & in one day twenty-three thousand fell; nor let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, & were destroyed by serpents; nor complain, as some of them also complained, & were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them as examples, & they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
Gal. 5:24—6:5—“And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions & desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, & so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one examine his own work, & then he will have rejoicing in himself alone, & not in another. For each one shall bear his own load.”
*Php. 1:15-17—“Some indeed preach Christ even from envy & strife, & some also from good will: The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing to add affliction to my chains; but the latter out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel.”
Php. 2:3-4—“Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.”
1Pet. 5:5-7—“Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, & be clothed with humility, for “God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble.” Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.”
Timothy’s youth was a constant a factor in his ministry, which had to be dismissed authoritatively(by Paul).
*1Tim. 4:12-16—“Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself & to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself & those who hear you.”
1Cor. 16:10 -11—“Now if Timothy comes, see that he may be with you without fear; for he does the work of the Lord, as I also do. Therefore let no one despise him. But send him on his journey in peace, that he may come to me; for I am waiting for him with the brethren.”
2Tim. 2:22—“Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”
Eccl. 11:9-12:1—“Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, And let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth; Walk in the ways of your heart, And in the sight of your eyes; But know that for all these God will bring you into judgment. Therefore remove sorrow from your heart, And put away evil from your flesh, For childhood & youth are vanity. Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, “I have no pleasure in them”:”
Prov. 22:15—“Foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child; The rod of correction will drive it far from him.”
Ezek. 16:22—““And in all your abominations & acts of harlotry you did not remember the days of your youth, when you were naked & bare, struggling in your blood.”
A statement to the flesh-driven helplessness of Israel’s beginnings without God.
General statement of the necessity of maturity directed toward the Church at large:
Eph. 4:11-16—“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, & some pastors & teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith & of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to & fro & carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head--Christ-- from whom the whole body, joined & knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
1Cor. 8:1-3—1Co 8:1-3—“Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. And if anyone thinks that he knows anything, he knows nothing yet as he ought to know. But if anyone loves God, this one is known by Him.”
False Prophets:
Mat. 7:15-20—““Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down & thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.”
A man with ‘youthful lusts’ is self-driven.
I came to saving faith when I gave up my youthful lusts(of the flesh).
Lk. 14:11—““For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, & he who humbles himself will be exalted.””
Illustration:
“Experience is something you don’t get until after you need it.”
“Experience is the sinking feeling that you have made this mistake before.”
Matt's dad picked him up from school to take him to a dental appointment. Knowing the parts for the school play were supposed to be posted today, he asked his son if he got a part.
Matt enthusiastically announced that he'd gotten a part. "I play a man who's been married for twenty years."
"That's great, son. Keep up the good work & before you know it they'll be giving you a speaking part."
The CEO’s Envelopes
Application:
?Does your pastor exemplify godly EXPERIENCE?
?Your Pastor Fit for Office?
?How do you measure up regarding the same qualifications?
1Tim. 5:19—“Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.”
14—An overseer’s fitness for office is decided by...
His SECULAR REPUTATION(:7)
Explanation: (:7)Respect
:7—“Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach & the snare of the devil.”
The devil sets this “snare” in order to capture the man of God & destroy his reputation. If a leader’s reputation is tarnished before lost people, then they will be closed to the Gospel of Christ altogether regarding it as so much hogwash. This is because Christ(of whom such a pastor speaks) has no power to change that pastor’s own life. Without “a good testimony” an overseer/bishop/pastor is no more than a brainless & foolish hypocrite.
“Good”[See :1]—kalov—Beautiful, handsome, excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious, useful, suitable, commendable, admirable. A much higher word. It means beautiful, physically or morally. It is, however, distinctly the beauty which comes from harmony, the beauty which arises from a symmetrical adjustment in right proportion, in other words, from the harmonious completeness of the object concerned.
“Testimony/Reputation/Report”—marturia—A testifying—1a) The office committed to the prophets of testifying concerning future events; 2) What one testifies, testimony, i.e. before a judge.
“Outside”—exwyen—From without, outward.
“Reproach”—oneidismov—N.—A reproach—1a) Such as Christ suffered, for the cause of God, from his enemies. Used 5X.
From—oneidizw—To defame, i.e. Rail at, chide, taunt.
“Snare”—pagiv—Snare, trap, noose—1a) Of snares in which birds are entangled & caught—1a1) Implies unexpectedly, suddenly, because birds & beasts are caught unawares, 1b) A snare, i.e. whatever brings peril, loss, destruction—1b1) Of a sudden & unexpected deadly peril, 1b2) Of the allurements & seductions of sin, 1b3) The allurements to sin by which the devil holds one bound, 1b4) The snares of love. Strong—A trap (as fastened by a noose or notch). Used 5X.
From—phgnumi—To fix ("peg"), i.e. specially--To set up (a tent).
Argumentation:
Job 31:13-23—““If I have despised the cause of my male or female servant When they complained against me, What then shall I do when God rises up? When He punishes, how shall I answer Him? Did not He who made me in the womb make them? Did not the same One fashion us in the womb? If I have kept the poor from their desire, Or caused the eyes of the widow to fail, Or eaten my morsel by myself, So that the fatherless could not eat of it(But from my youth I reared him as a father, And from my mother’s womb I guided the widow); If I have seen anyone perish for lack of clothing, Or any poor man without covering; If his heart has not blessed me, And if he was not warmed with the fleece of my sheep; If I have raised my hand against the fatherless, When I saw I had help in the gate; Then let my arm fall from my shoulder, Let my arm be torn from the socket. For destruction from God is a terror to me, And because of His magnificence I cannot endure.”
Job 31:29-31, 38-40—““If I have rejoiced at the destruction of him who hated me, Or lifted myself up when evil found him (Indeed I have not allowed my mouth to sin By asking for a curse on his soul); If the men of my tent have not said, ‘Who is there that has not been satisfied with his meat?’(But no sojourner had to lodge in the street, For I have opened my doors to the traveler); If I have covered my transgressions as Adam, By hiding my iniquity in my bosom, Because I feared the great multitude, And dreaded the contempt of families, So that I kept silence And did not go out of the door-- Oh, that I had one to hear me!..... “If my land cries out against me, And its furrows weep together;” If I have eaten its fruit without money, Or caused its owners to lose their lives; Then let thistles grow instead of wheat, And weeds instead of barley.”.....”
1Sam. 2:26—“And the child Samuel grew in stature, & in favor both with the LORD & men.”
Lk. 2:51-52—“Then He went down with them & came to Nazareth, & was subject to them, but His mother kept all these things in her heart. And Jesus increased in wisdom & stature, & in favor with God & men.”
Rom. 14:16-18—“Therefore do not let your good be spoken of as evil; for the kingdom of God is not eating & drinking, but righteousness & peace & joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God & approved by men.”
Mat. 5:43-48 ““You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor & hate your enemy.’ “But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, & pray for those who spitefully use you & persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil & on the good, & sends rain on the just & on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect.”
Eph. 6:11-13—“Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh & blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, & having done all, to stand.”
Illustration:
Media attention—For what purpose?—Defamation or Praise?/His SECULAR REPUTATION
Civic involvement/Pressure from within & outside the church to join this or that Organization, Club or Civic group/Yet the pastor’s reputation does not hinge upon his offices held but upon His walk with God/His SECULAR REPUTATION
Application:
?Does your pastor exemplify a godly SECULAR REPUTATION?
?Your Pastor Fit for Office?
?How do you measure up regarding the same qualifications?
CONCLUSION:
Action:
An overseer’s fitness for office is decided by His...
12. His CHILDREN’s REGARD(:4-5)
13. His EXPERIENCE(:6)
14. His SECULAR REPUTATION(:7)
1. DESIRE(:1)
2. BLAMELESSNESS(:2a)
3. MARITAL COMMITMENT(:2b)
4. EMOTIONAL STABILITY(:2c)
5. SELF-CONTROL(:2d)
6. ORDERLINESS(:2e)
7. OPENNESS Toward STRANGERS(:2f)
8. TEACHING(:2g)
9. His SOBRIETY(:3a)
10. His TEMPERAMENT(:3b)
11. His FINANCIAL PROWESS(:3c)
In closing:
No man is immune to these potential hazards(:2-7) because no pastor is sinless. Correspondingly, every pastor CAN be committed to these Christ-honoring behaviors. He can only submit his character under control of the Holy Spirit.
Therefore if you want a pastor who’s character is godly, who meets these criteria, who seeks ‘To be a man of true godly integrity, willingly allowing himself to be used for God’s desire in any circumstance,’ then PRAY for him! PRAY for his personal walk with God. Then & only then will he be fit for office within such a vital prescription for humanity as the Church!
Presented 11/25/2012pm to:
Needmore Baptist Church
1620 Mt. Vernon Rd.
Woodleaf, NC 27054
