FOLLOW THE LEADERS

Be Faithful1 Timothy 3

By Warren W. Wiersbe

Everything uses or falls with leadership, whether it be a family or a local churchLeadership is a part of a spiritual organizationPastors (3:1-7)•“Bishop”, “pastor, and “elder” are synonymous– Bishop means overseer– Elder has the responsibility of overseeing the work

of the church (Acts 20:17, 28; 1 Peter 5:1-3)• Translation of Greek word presbutes meaning “an old

man”• Presbytery in I Tim. 4:14 refers to the eldership of the

assembly that ordained Timothy, not to denomination

– Elders and bishops (Titus 1:5,7) were mature people with spiritual wisdom and experience

– Pastor means shepherd, one who leads and cares for the flock of God• Plurality of elders: some involved in administration and

others in teaching (I Tim. 5:17)

• Qualifications– Blameless (2a):”nothing to take hold upon”;

nothing in his life that Satan or unsaved can criticize or attack the church; no man can live sinless, but he can strive to live above reproach

– The husband of one wife (2b): Adjectives are masculine. Pastors should not be divorced and remarried. His ability to manage his marriage and home shows his ability to oversee the church

– Vigilant (2c): temperate or sober. Temperate in all things (2Tim. 4:5). Keep your head in all situations (NIV)

– Sober (2d): be in a serious attitude and earnestness about his work.

– Of good behavior (2e): orderly in thinking, living, teaching and preaching; modest

– Given to hospitality (2f): loving the strangers. A great help to the fellowship of a local church

– Apt to teach (2g): teaching is one of an elder’s main ministries• A pastor is automatically a teacher (2Tim. 2:2, 24; Eph.

4:11)• Must be a careful student of God’s word. Lazy pastor in

his study is a disgrace in his pulpit– Not given to wine (3a): Not drink to excess. Use

for medicinal purpose (I Tim. 5:23). Water wasn’t pure in those days. Diluted wine. Difference between cultural use in Bible time and supporting the alcohol industry of today. Example of a weaker brother. (Rom 14:21)

– No strikers (3b): Not contentious, not looking for a fight

– Not a greedy of filthy lucre (3c): Easy money if no conscience of integrity. “Pastors” should “not work for filthy lucre” (I Peter 5:2)

– Patient (3d): Gentle. Listen to people and be able to take criticism without reacting

– Not a brawler(3e): Pastor is to be a peacemaker, not troublemaker. They must disagree without being disagreeable. Short tempters will not work out for long ministries.

– Not covetous (3f): center mainly on money although they could occur to popularity, large ministry, etc.

– A godly family (4-5): if a man’s won children cannot obey and respect him, then his church is not likely to respect and obey his leadership.• For Christians, church and home are one• Oversee with love and disciple; rule and ruleth in I

Timothy mean “to preside, to govern”• Pastor directs the business of the church, not as

dictator, but as a loving shepherd (I Peter 5:3)• “Take care of” (v.5) suggests to personal ministry to the

needs of the church

– Not a novice (6): “novice” mean “one newly planted”. Age is not guarantee of maturity.

– A good testimony outside the church (7): Does he pay bills? Does he have a reputation among the unsaved people? The church needs to pray constantly for the pastor

The Deacons (3:8-13)•Deacon in English and diakonos in Greek means “servant”•Acts 6: assistants to the apostles– Today in a local church, deacons relieve the

pastors of the tasks

– Qualifications• Grave (8a): worthy of respect; a man of Christian

character worth imitating• Not a double-tongued (8b): Deacon doesn’t tell a tale

from house to house; not a gossip• Not given to much wine (8c): I Timothy 3:3• Not greedy of filthy lucre (8d): Deacons handle offering

and distribute money to needy people in the church• Doctrinally sound (9): “mystery”: truth once hidden but

now revealed by God. Deacons must understand Christian doctrine and obey it with good conscience. Deacons make decisions on God’s word and back up with godly lives. Some know constitution better than God’s word. Green book. A deacon who doesn’t know God’s word cannot manage the affairs of the church. A deacon who doesn’t live the Word of God (godly life) cannot manage the church of God.

– Tested and proved (10): it implies watching their lives and seeing how they conduct themselves. Matthew 25:21 – “Thou has been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things”. Joseph - 13 years; Moses – 40 years; Joshua; David: Jesus: Paul. Untested Christian is an unprepared Christian.

– Godly home (11-12): Wives – serious about the ministry; not given to slanderous talk (slanderer, accuser); faithful in what they do. Damage in a church is caused when wives slander or gossip. Deaconess (diakonon); Phebe

– Willingness to work (v. 13)• Deacon uses the office• Greek word translated degree means rank, step, or

rung on a ladder• Faithful deacon has a good standing before God and

men

• The Believers (3:14-16)– Pictures of the church• The house of God (v.5)

– A family or household– Brethren (Paul) – 1 Tim 4:6)– Treat the members as he would treat the members of his

family (1 Tim 5:1-2)

– Must be fed using God's Word» Bread (Matt4:4); milk & meat (Heb 5:12-14), 1Cor 3:1-2);

honey (Ps 119:103)– Need discipline in love– Need encouragement & example (1 Thess 2:7-12)

• The assembly (15b)– Ekklesia means assembly– Local church, assembly of believers– “The called out”

» In Acts 7:38 Israel– Timothy to conduct himself as a leader of a local church; not

as a religious dictator (! Peter 5: 3-5; 3 John 9-12)

• The pillar & ground of the truth (15c-16)– The temple of Diana had 127 pillars– Ground suggests a bulwark or stay (foundation)

– The local church is built on Jesus Christ (John 14:6; 1 Cor 3:9-15)

– Pillar relates to displaying the truth of His Word» “Hold forth the Word of life” (Phil 2:16)

– Bulwark implies that the church protects the truth» The main truth is the person & work of Jesus Christ (1

Timothy 3:16)