Trustworthy Saying - Part 3

Trustworthy Saying #3

(1 Tim. 3:1-7)

Intro:

A. Today we are going to study another of Paul’s “trustworthy sayings” taken from 1 Tim. 3:1. The Bible tells us read about the role of the minister or evangelist, and the character of spiritual leaders we often call “elders” or “shepherds.” We also are briefly told of the spiritual qualities of the office of deacon. But for many members in a local congregation, they don’t really think about how these people became a spiritual leader or why they are important.

B. In many churches, it’s about popularity or emotional connection. “I really like the way our minister preaches; his sermons make me feel…” Or “Our elders are good men; they came to see me in the hospital or when I was going through a difficult time they spent time in prayer with me.” And when it comes to deacons, most people don’t even think about them as spiritual, just people who have a title and do some physical work or lead a ministry.

C. I get that many members just want to belong to a healthy congregation where they can get as much God talk as they need for a week. But local churches rise and fall based upon their spiritual leaders. Elders, deacons and preachers and their families are more than just nice people who do good things, they are spiritual men and women who devote themselves first to God and then to the congregation.

D. Listen to what Paul tells Timothy is the essence of his role of an evangelist in the local church (2 Tim. 4:1-5). While we can all find some self-application, that scripture is specifically given to those of us who bring to you the understanding of scripture through classes and sermons.

E. The reason I shared that is because many Christians are more familiar with my role and my duties as a minister than they are of the role and duties of our elders. Preachers were probably more popular and followed than the Overseers who shepherd God’s flock as elders even in days of Paul. Just read 1 Corinthians 1 if you need more convincing.

I. Aspires The Office

A. Open with me to 1 Tim. 3:1-7. The trustworthy saying is found in verse 1. This is not a sermon about qualifications, this is about the encouragement to aspire to, seek, to set one’s heart on the being a spiritual leader.

B. Many times we don’t like the idea that a person should “desire the office of an Overseer.” It’s because we misunderstand the word. While it is not used often in the NT, let me give you a little context of “aspire” or “desire” as used by the Holy Spirit in the Bible. Turn to Heb. 11. This is a great chapter of men and women whose faith pushed them, led them, to seek God and God’s desire over their own. Their faith in Jehovah let them believe the unbelievable and, in some cases, gave them the strength to die for their faith in God. Read verses 13-16.

C. In verse 16 we get our word that is also found in Timothy. These people put their faith in a promise, something the did not see but believed. More specifically, their faith was in eternity, a home that belonged to God and one where God would welcome them, not as foreigners, but citizens of the Kingdom. With that mindset, we read in vs 16 that they, “desired a better country, that is, a heavenly one.” They long for, they seek, they aspire to gain this home.

D. When a man longs for, desires, aspires to become an Overseer in the local church, he sees in faith the greatness of what God can and will do in that congregation. He is not seeking his own greatness, but as we read through the qualities of that person, he is seeking to be a spiritual guide by way of leadership.

E. Paul would tell the church in Rome that the HS gifts people to lead with zeal in the church family. We are blessed with two men who serve this church as spiritual leaders we call elders or shepherds. In this case, the word Paul uses is “Overseer.” It is a word that give authority to the one who leads. He has authority to challenge teaching that is false, and authority to set a vision which the sheep follow because they trust their spiritual shepherds. This high level of spiritual leadership is not in one man alone, but in a group.

II. The Good and The Bad

A. I believe in our two shepherds here at Glen Rock. I believe they desire to see us as grow spiritually and become a church that gets the attention of Satan. They want to give you and me a place where we can be challenged to grow, encouraged to live in the work of the HS, and through us, be a light to our community that beckons others to see Jesus and walk in salvation. I wanted to come and work with this church because of the spiritual oversight of these men. While I did not know their character, I did know they had vision and desires for kingdom growth, and I wanted to be a part of that team. That vision drew me to this church family.