Series: Action [#207]
LEADERSHIP- HAVING A PERFECT CHURCH
1 Timothy 3:1-16
Introduction:
As we continue to study about Paul’s letter to the young Pastor Timothy, I want to look at how God wants the local Church to be administrated. Now more than ever, the local Church needs to be lifting God up in everything that they do. The Church needs to be preaching, teaching, and living the Word of God. What we need is a perfect Church. How do we accomplish this? I know everyone is thinking, “This is a waste of time, because it isn’t possible to have a perfect Church”. I disagree.
1 Timothy 3:1-7
In order to have a perfect Church, you must have…
1. A perfect Pastor.
This should be the most used passage in Scripture when a Church is looking for a Pastor. These verses are the qualifications for a Pastor. Now, if you can find a Pastor who meets every one of these qualifications every second of every day; then you have yourself the perfect Pastor. Actually, every Christian should have these characteristics.
The Pastor should…
* Be above reproach.
* Be the husband of 1 wife.
* Be temperate.
* Be self-controlled.
* Be respectable.
* Be hospitable.
* Be able to teach.
* Not be a drunk.
* Not be violent.
* Not be quarrelsome.
* Not be a lover of money.
* Manage his family well.
* See that his children obey him.
* Not be a new Christian.
* Have a good reputation among people outside of the Church.
The Pastor is the man whom God has chosen to lead the local congregation. This list of qualifications is a serious list. We could debate the meaning of some of these; but what I want you to notice is, there are 0 Pastors that successfully follow all of these. It is through the power of the Holy Spirit that a Pastor will lead in a God honoring way.
1 Timothy 3:8-13
In order to have a perfect Church, you must have…
2. Perfect Deacons.
The word Deacon means servant. In the early Church, the Apostles were trying to take care of everyone’s physical and spiritual needs, and they couldn’t keep up. God had them choose men who would take care of the physical needs of the Church members. Here are the qualifications of a Deacon.
The Deacon should…
* Be worthy of respect.
* Be sincere.
* Not be a drunk.
* Not be dishonest.
* Be holding on to the truths of the faith.
* Be tested.
* Be the husband of 1 wife.
* Manage his children and household well.
The Deacon’s wife should…
* Be worthy of respect.
* Not be a malicious talker.
* Be temperate.
* Be trustworthy in everything.
Just as with pastors, there are 0 deacons who meet all of these qualifications all of the time. It is only through the power of the Holy Spirit that a deacon can serve the people of God in a way that pleases God.
1 Timothy 3:14-16
In order to have a perfect Church, you must have…
3. A perfect Congregation.
The Congregation should…
* Conduct themselves as people who belong to God’s household.
* Conduct themselves as people who are a part of the Church of the living God.
* Conduct themselves as people who belong to the pillar and ground of the truth.
Conclusion:
The bottom line today is that we have to choose if we are going to strive to be that perfect Church or we are just going to walk around defeated. What will it be?
