Best Bishops
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
As an experiment, I went to see what churches are looking for in a Pastor. So I found some job listings for evangelical churches, and i had a look at their character qualifications.
Listen to what this church is looking for in their next pastor:
I want you to take note of what this says, and we’ll compare it with our passage.
Here’s part of the opening spiel:
“Blaine Christian Church is searching for a Senior Pastor who can engage other persons with empathy.”
Personal Characteristics & Qualifications:
Bible-centered
Jesus-focused
(so far, so Good!)
Adaptable / Flexible
Meaningful change agent
Generational appreciation
Collaborative / Facilitator
Ecumenical Appreciation
Outgoing
Available / Interested
Good listener
Visionary
Missional / Community Impact
Discipleship Focus
As you can see, as we made our way through the list, there were a few obviously good things, things that are preferences of the local church, but NONE of the stuff on that list features in a biblical description of what Pastors should be.
The rest of that job listing has no reference to Biblical qualifications of a church leader.
I didn’t have to go far to find this listing. This is a sad reflection on the church in the west, where even the “good” evangelical churches have put aside, or assumed the biblical pattern of church leadership.
I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt… but it’s a worry for the church at large...
Recap Timothy So far
Paul teaching Timothy how to run church
Defend sound doctrine
Keep the Gospel clear
Pray for all people!
Worship well, with gendered differences in the gathering.
Now Paul moves to a natural next step. OK, so men are meant to lead in church, but who should those men be? What should they be like?
Paul gives us a very clear Job description in our passage today!
Jesus died for His Bride, the Church. He loves her, and he wants her to thrive. He told us what kind of leaders to put in place to care for His Bride. The kind of leaders he wants to lead his bride are clearly explained in Scripture, in multiple places!
What right do we have to depart from what Jesus Clearly says?
Practical Application today: Be thinking of who in our congregation is closest to this position, to put forward for consideration.
But, most of the stuff in here is for everyone anyway!
Office of Overseer
Office of Overseer
v1
Interchangeability of Pastor, Elder & Bishop
So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly;
In this passage, Paul is uses the word Episcopos which we translate as Bishop or Overseer, but in an almost identical passage to Titus, Paul uses the term Elder.
We have no reason to believe These are separate offices, remember that as we dive in:
The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
Good desire!
You can desire it - don’t have to pretend you don’t want to!
You can desire it is a sinful way
I can run things how I like, my music, my programmes, my way.
I can get influence, and power or respect.
In History, people would put on a big show of not wanting to be a bishop or elder because they thought it was unbecoming, so the got in the habit of forcing people to take on office.
He desires a Beautiful thing!
To start with - Beautiful Character to have
Good work is a good thing, and what could be better than labouring in God’s house. Builders, given a choice to build a house or build God’s temple, which is preferred?
Good work, seeing lives transformed by God and saved from Darkness to light!
It is an Office
An office is an official thing. We’re used to hearing about political offices like Mayor, but there’s also Police Officers and Officers in the defence force.
An Office is a position of authority and responsibility with a dedicated assignment.
Officers have limits on their purview.
In the church there are two offices - Overseer and Deacon. We do ourselves no services by trying to invent new classes of authority & leadership in the church.
If God wants us to do something, he tells us, and he hasn’t told us to shape the church after modern business bureaucracies, or parliaments.
Ass with other offices, the office is to be respected, even if you get a bad person in the role.
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God. Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.
This is awkward I know, because I stand here as the sole bishop in the church right now, but let push through the awkwardness and recognize God’s clear word to us.
Church leaders have a real position of spiritual authority, an office.
We need to submit to our leaders in the LORD.
Overseers are above Reproach
Overseers are above Reproach
v2-3
Rapid fire list of characteristics.
Like other lists in the NT, they paint a rounded picture of the goal. Each is in it’s own Right a good thing, but come together to form a clear outline.
Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Above Reproach - the summary of what follows.
Not sinless, but be known as having no big flaws and known as being a good guy.
One Woman man
Faithful to his spouse if he has one
Not a polygamist
Not an unrighteous divorcee.
Sober minded - i.e. opposite of drunk
Literally not a drunkard
Self control - standard godliness
Respectable - worthy of respect
Hospitable - welcomes the stranger, and cares for those around him.
Not violent - as in he is not violent to his people, nor does he go looking fro trouble.
Not Quarrelsome (like Paul mentioned for prayers!)
Not a lover of money
One “skill” - Able to teach
Able to communicate the Truth.
Does not need to be a inspirational public speaker, but “able to teach”
To be able to do the other things that we have been reading about in Timothy, “Wage good warfare” by proclaiming and defending truth!
Paul also says it this way:
He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
Jesus’ Gospel at the Center!
Overseers Manage their Household
Overseers Manage their Household
v4-5
We often want to see experience before we trust people with a big Job. You may ask to see a house a builder has done before you engage them to build your house.
In the matter of building the house of God, we should be looking for blokes who have a proven history of building up their own household in a Godly way.
Can they pastor their family? If not, why would we entrust more souls to their care ?
He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
Manage, lead, rule
Lead with an appropriate gravity, dignity and seriousness. Not devoid of joy and joking, but in such a way that demonstrates you’re doing divine work in hour home.
Shepherds & disciplines his children. That word submission again!
Unlike other areas of submission, this is something that fathers must enforce.
Enforcement is always the measure of the limit of authority & submission. In marriage there is no “lever” other than divorce.
In Civil government, they have the “sword” to compel obedience & submission.
In Church, we have the process of Church discipline
In homes, fathers must “keep” their children submissive. Teach it to them, demonstrate appropriate submission, discipline insubordination, reward good.
This is the forgotten Qualification.
Demonstrated track record in your home will show the fruit we should expect of you in church leadership
Singles? May not have an opportunity to show this, but we will still be looking for evidences.
Titus
if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
Overseers Have a Good History
Overseers Have a Good History
v6-7
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Snare of the Devil
Connected with being unskilled in faith
Plenty of examples one of my previous pastors, Driscoll, Youth Pastors
Don;t fall into the trap of appointing the by virtue of zeal, passion or charisma.
Well thought of
Reputation of Leaders as reputation of Christ
Obviously, we expect disgust, rejection on the part of JEsus, but we want Jesus to be the stumbling block. Not our obnoxious behaviour, stealing from our boss, shoddy workmanship, hot head, etc.
So What?
So What?
Jesus Died for His Bride
Jesus is preparing his bride for eternity!
Who should be leading the local church in preparation for eternity?