Sermon Title: Help Wanted – Man of God
Text: 1 Timothy 3
Date: August 24, 2003
Context of Scripture:
It only stands to reason that since we dealt with the issue of women in the ministry last times we looked at Paul’s letter to Pastor Timothy, we should look at what is required of the men.
When you deal in two entirely different outlooks on accepted behavior, when the two exist side by side, the one that is correct, and in this case it is God’s will, there is the likelihood and temptation for there to be a mixing of the two. This same issue causes us problems today. Today, we have the threat of cross-contamination between the ways of God and the ways of the world, just as it was threatening the church where Timothy was Paul’s chosen leader.
Please stand for the reading of God’s Holy Word!
Scripture Reading: 1 Timothy 3
1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 Women must likewise be dignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
14 I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 15 but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth. 16 By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world, Taken up in glory.
Sermon Introduction:
Why settle for mediocrity when excellence is within reach? There is nothing wrong with striving for the best. There is nothing wrong with doing things in a superior fashion. There is however a stipulation that goes along with that, we can seek that type of excellence only if it is in the will and the way of the Lord.
In the schools, the message that is brought to the students is for the need to aim high. They are to aim high academically, they are to aim high professionally, and they are to aim high personally. God honors those that aim high academically, if it is for the expressed purpose of the glory of His kingdom. God honors those that aim high professionally, if it is for the expressed purpose of the glory of His kingdom. God will also honor our personal high ideals, but only if they are in line with His will for our lives. This is the area that creates the greatest of conflicts because we have to resist the inborn urge to cater to the me and instead see our needs and desires through the lens of God’s will for our lives. Aim High! But let the target be the heights of heaven and an eternity in the presence of God praising His holy name.
If we look at the church of today and compare it to the society with which it competes, it is making a dismal showing. I am not suggesting that we should look to the world for ways of bettering what we do for the kingdom of God, I am saying that we are doing a poor job of offering something in a manner that is fitting of the Creator of all. Everywhere that we look, the society is doing what it can to present the best for those who are seeking, but what about the church. We have the ultimate and most powerful power behind us and yet we go about things in the most humdrum of fashions. We have the big old frowns, the wrinkled foreheads, and somehow someone has gotten the idea across that Christians cannot have fun. That is nonsense – I have never had a better time in my life then in recent history, serving God and doing His will. If we wish to turn the tide of apathy in the world around us in regards to the things of the Lord, we need to Raise the Standards! Raise the standards and put a smile on our faces so wide that it cannot help but be contagious.
Let us teach what God’s Word commands us to teach with the greatest of professionalism and enthusiasm. If we are not excited about Jesus then how do we expect others to be excited as well? Let us preach the Word of God with accuracy and determination. In over 2000 years the message of the Apostles is still as powerful and applicable as ever. The only thing that is holding the Word of God back is the artificial anchor of doubt that we have chained to our ankles. If we strive for Personal excellence, then why not let that excellence be in the way that we pass on and portray the Word of God and the teaching’s of Jesus Christ.
We seriously need to look at becoming the best that we can become for the Kingdom of God. We have always said that many of our brothers and sisters in foreign lands have to fight for their right to worship the Lord, well our time is not far down the road and for some in the nation, that time is upon us now. Wee need to get ready, because perhaps this time next year we will be Seasoned for battle!
Prayer for Spiritual Enlightenment:
I. Aim High!
If we ask the question of a young child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” What kind of responses do you think we would get? I know when that question was asked of me, the different answers were fireman, doctor, or astronaut. What kind of answers are there out there now? Perhaps investment banker, Lawyer, Doctor or something like that. In my generation and certainly today, I don’t think the answer would be pastor or chaplain, or board member or deacon. Why are there so few who seek that position. Look at what Paul writes about that position and the people who seek to find themselves in those positions:
1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.
It is a fine work! There is nothing more rewarding then being the one who is blessed to lead someone to the Lord. Oh yes, a doctor saves many lives but that pales in comparison in helping in the process of someone being saved for all eternity. Pastor’s really do have the best job that one could desire. We get to dedicate babies, we get to perform marriages, it is an honor to conduct a funeral for the one who has gone on to be with the Lord. Pastor’s get to taste the most exquisite foods at the different potlucks of the many congregations that he might be blessed to lead. Pastor’s can talk all they want and they usually get away with it.
Even the more undesirable tasks are wonderful in their own way. When someone is in the hospital, we can visit and offer comfort through prayer and even some momentary companionship when loneliness is upon the hospitalized. When there is a death in the family, there is the opportunity to comfort through the sharing of the sorrow.
There is a joy in the preparation of the messages. Imagine the opportunity to read and study and savor and pray through the Word of God as a profession – it certainly cannot get any better then that! To feel the guidance of the Lord as the message forms and takes shape in the process of study and prayer.
It isn’t only the pastor. The church leaders are blessed with the empowering of the Holy Spirit to manage the day to day operation of the Body of Christ until the day that He returns. What an opportunity, to be in charge of providing for the Bride of Christ until the return of our Lord and Savior. Sunday School teachers are blessed with the responsibilities of the hearts souls and spirits of the next generation of Billy Grahams. What other occupation in this world that we live in could be so grand?
We look at these positions from the Kingdom viewpoint and then our vision slowly blurs with the smudges and scratches and dirt that the society around us places on the lenses. What about the money? What about the yacht? What about the personal prestige? What about my ego? All these things of the immediate nature and they allow our vision to pale in regard to the things of eternity. Why?
II. Raise the Standards!
Perhaps the reason that the world frowns on these positions of leadership for the Kingdom of God is because the requirements to hold those position are out of their reach. Not for lack of opportunity but because of the very choices that they make in their lives. Look at the qualifications that Paul brings forth:
must be above reproach, . . . temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.
What does it mean to be above reproach? We must live in such a way where no blame can be placed upon us, we cannot be a disgrace or discredited. Is this even possible anymore? If we keep our eyes on the things of the Lord, if we follow only the will of the Lord, and if we live our lives according to the ways of the Lord, we can fit that description. The question is, do we want to? We must live such a proximity to the things that we each and preach that we do nothing to disgrace our title of Christian. We must see to it that all that we do in the sight of others and in the privacy of our times alone does nothing to discredit the testimony that we have proclaimed. The question is – do we want to?
What does it mean to be temperate? If we try to define this word, we find that it is marked by the gift of moderation. Someone who is temperate operates within certain limits, they are not extreme nor are they excessive. They are not indulgent or extravagant. What does this translate in regards to the church. For a church leader it means that they operate from day to day on an even keel. They are not one way on one occasion and then contrary on another. They employ standards that are consistent with the object of that standards focus. A temperate church leader is not prone to extreme partisanship. Why is this so needed in the church of today? It means that there will be consistency of leadership and expectation in direct proportion to the people that they are leading. The requirements of a long time Christian would not be applied to someone who has just confessed Jesus as Lord and Savior. The same chastisement would be offered to all of similar Christian stature regardless of personal closeness or contribution to the church finances
How about the meaning of being prudent within the context of the body of Christ? It is someone who is wise, and by wise I mean someone who applies their knowledge in a manner that glorifies the name of the Lord. It is someone that is shrewd in the manner of the way that they conduct church business. Eyes open to those that may be attempting to deceive and yet still open enough to be considerate of all.
Why would a church leader not exhibit the trait of being Pugnacious? This word means combative, and what do combative personalities accomplish in a board meeting that is seeking the will of God for the congregation. I heard of a story of a board meeting that got so out of hand one time that a fistfight erupted and the police were called to end the disturbance. What kind of a witness did that body of Christ display to the onlooking world around them? A church leader needs to be decisive without the destructive nature of pugnaciousness.
III. Personal excellence!
Paul deals with the leadership attributes at the place where the leadership applies, but then he takes it to the home front and adds that this is included in the overall Biblical portrait of a leader as well.
the husband of one wife . . . He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?
Paul begins with a look at the institution of the marriage. I will go back to that after I look at the statement of household leadership. It boils down to the practice what you preach idea. If honesty is required outside of the home, how is it dealt with inside the family? Discipline is a matter that requires consistent application outside the home and in. The reverse side of it all, is somewhat painful for many of us to deal with, because many of us will find ourselves convicted of the same thing, do we treat our family members with the same consideration in all areas as we do those outside of the home that we have leadership responsibilities over? Ouch, for most of us – that hurts!
The greatest pointer of that in myself was made through a statement that Jeremy once made early on in my ministry. I was on my way out the door, when he asked for a hug and I went on without honoring his request, and he said to Laura, “It’s OK, he is a one hug a day dad”. Lesson taught well by someone who was under ten years old at the time.
Discipline over the household is indeed a suggestion of this section of the text, but the compassion and consideration over those in the household apply as well.
Let us now deal with the statement, “husband of one wife”. Now we can see this as another divisive text within the body of Christ. It is used against marriage after a divorce. It is used to keep people of a second marriage from holding any power in a church and in actuality there are some denomination that would not even welcome those that have experienced divorce into the hallowed halls of their sanctuaries. In those cases it is indeed their sanctuaries and not the sanctuaries of the Almighty God, who wishes all to be saved and come into a knowledge of Him!
It goes much deeper then the simple and superficial reading of this text. In the culture that Timothy was pasturing his church in, the prevailing standard in regards to the relationship between man and women were that women were possessions, just as the slave and there were usually multiple wives. The many wives were a sign of wealth and importance to the world around this particular society. Polygamy was actually more prominent in many of the cultures then Monogamy was, and God was actually leading His people in a direction that was contrary to much of the civilizations.
It also implies the manner in which a relationship be maintained between the two parties of the marital unit. The words that are used are husband and wife. There are responsibilities that a husband must follow in this relationship in regards to his wife. If that would not be the case then it might have been written, “ONE MAN – ONE WOMAN”, or me Tarzan – you Jane. It is not a text that simply requires a single union with a single mate, it establishes the ground rules for that relationship as well. In the context of a marriage that is embroiled in domestic battle, how does that carry over into the other portions of life?
Is there an allowance for Christian divorce? Perhaps in answering that question, I will answer in the manner that Jesus used so well, and that is with a question. Can a covenant be made with God, in regards to the marital union, if either or neither fail to be in the right relationship with the guarantor of the covenant?
IV. Seasoned for battle!
This is really an indepth look at Christian leadership qualifications, because after looking at the personality traits and the demeanor within the home context, Paul points Timothy to the realm of experience. Let us read on:
not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.
This is a condemnation of the church of today. When someone expresses an interest in establishing a relationship with the Lord and wishes to do all in their power to serve Him, they are immediately burdened with responsibilities of which they are either not prepared for or worthy of in that stage of their walk with Christ.
How can a new convert lead a Sunday School class when they need to be nurtured themselves? Even if someone is willing, can we be positive that a new convert even understands the doctrines that we teach?
Now on the other hand, we need to be aware of those that are the fire fighters of the church. A new convert is burning with a passion for the Lord and all they wish to do is douse the flames. A new convert is also the most prone from an attack from Satan, and as a result more susceptible to stumble in the heat of battle when they are saddled with responsibilities that are beyond their spiritual capabilities at the time.
Conclusion:
As a body of Christ and as individuals that proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior, what are we aiming at for the Kingdom of God. We basically see the world around us going to hell in the proverbial hand basket, and it really takes little effort to be closer to the Lord then they are. Do we settle for a mediocre walk with the Lord or do we Aim High?
Just because many other denominations and congregations are settling into an acceptance that things are never going to be as good as they used to be doesn’t mean that we should settle for the same. We can pray more and we can pray harder. We can pray beyond the walls of our sanctuary and make intercession a practice without limits or boundaries. We can study God’s Word even though at the surface it doesn’t seem to apply to some of our situations today. It still applies, but we need the scales removed from our spiritual vision and that requires our willingness to let the Holy Spirit have free reign over all of our being. Instead of accepting our circumstances we need to Raise the Standards!
This raising of the standards isn’t only for our times of specific worship or when we are in the company of those that need to hear the Word of God. We need to raise the standards of our very way of living. Instead of striving for success in what we do we should strive for Personal excellence. Does what we say in the worship apply to what we say at all times and that includes the context of our family times? Let us look deeply into the treatment of our own closest of the close and ask ourselves if we are giving them an even break.
We also need to prepare ourselves for the difficulties that lie ahead. Have we lived through some of the rough spots already and find ourselves Seasoned for battle? If not then we ought to do all that we can to receive the empowering that is readily available through the Holy Spirit, providing we give Him total and thorough access. We face rough times ahead, and if we fail to meet those challenges head-on, then we leave an even bigger mess for those that would follow us as believers of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Call to Commitment:
As we close this morning, the altar of prayer is open. Let us ask the question, are we guilty of status quo Christianity or are we seeking that raised standard that the Lord has called us to. If this is a matter that the Holy Spirit has been dealing with us on, why not ask for the direction this morning and this moment. Let us aim our sights at the Kingdom of Heaven.
Perhaps our personal standards leave much to be desired. Our prayer life is off, our devotional life is lax, we attend when we can but are not letting the Spirit move within us as we ought. Is our family receiving the brunt of our resistance to the things of God? Let us lay that at the foot of the cross this morning.
Are we committed enough to engage in the battle that surely awaits us. Lord give us the knowledge, Lord give us the wisdom, Lord give us the strength to look to You and You alone for all that we need.
Perhaps there is one that has yet to proclaim Jesus as Lord and Savior. The time for prayer is now and the glory that is to follow is only a prayer away.
