Qualifications for the Overseer – Part 2
1 Timothy 3:4-7
February 28, 2010
Tonight we come back to our study in 1 Timothy
About the conduct of the church,
And we pick up with the remainder of the qualifications
That an overseer must fulfill to be able to serve.
But before we dive back into those qualifications,
I hope to take a moment and strengthen your understanding
As to why this is such an important concept.
This is one of those texts that people often look to as
“Situationally Relevant”
We study before we ordain a new preacher
We might study while serving on a pulpit committee
But beyond those isolated incidents,
Texts like this are very rarely seen as all that important.
And just in case you are tempted to view this topic in that light,
Let me take a minute and sort of reveal why these qualifications
Ought to be very important to you as a church body.
Let’s start back in the Old Testament.
By now (thanks to our study of Kings) most of you are familiar
With the moral and spiritual decline of the nation of Israel.
TEMPTING TO BLAME IT ALL ON THE KINGS
But please realize that the kings were not the only ones to blame
For the spiritual degradation occurring in Israel.
THE SPIRITUAL LEADERS WERE ALSO TO BLAME.
Hosea was a prophet to the northern kingdom.
Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”
In the south we had Ezekiel and Jeremiah
TURN TO: EZEKIEL 34:1-6; 11-16
You will notice that Ezekiel is prophesying against the shepherds.
He is not referring to those who by nature watch sheep.
He is referring to those who have been given charge over God’s flock.
David said, “The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.”
But it is clear that God has entrusted His flock to “under shepherds”
Who are meant to protect and provide for them.
Here Ezekiel addresses those spiritual leaders.
VERSES 1-3
Here we see a shepherd who was taking advantage of the flock,
Not benefiting the flock.
He took their money.
He gave them no spiritual nourishment in return.
He was charged to feed God’s flock and he refused.
VERSE 4
JUST AS HE IS NOT DEALING WITH PHYSICAL SHEEP,
HE IS NOT ADDRESSING PHYSICAL AILMENTS.
(This is not a rebuke for a lack of physical healing)
“sickly you have not strengthened”
Those who are weak in faith. They are lacking in knowledge and conviction.
They are like those weak believers Paul refers to
Who don’t know if they should eat meat or not.
“the diseased you have not healed”
Those who have fallen into sin, and are living in it.
And there the shepherds have not confronted the problem
In order to lead them out of it.
“the broken you have not bound up”
Those who have fallen into sin and reached brokenness because of it,
But the shepherds have not guided them
Towards restoration and renewal.
“the scattered you have not brought back”
those who are discouraged in the faith,
And the shepherds have not encouraged them
In order to restore their fire.
“nor have you sought for the lost”
They are lost and they must be found.
And what you find is that the shepherd has not ministered to any.
These are the 5 types of ailments that commonly affect sheep,
And that is why they need a shepherd.
God’s people typically fall into the same issues
And so a shepherd is necessary to keep the sheep spiritually sound,
Spiritually focused, and spiritually healthy, and full.
But in Ezekiel’s day the shepherds did not do their job
And for this reason God’s flock had fallen into sin
And was now being deported to Babylon.
VERSES 5-6
And so you see the necessity of a good shepherd.
They keep God’s flock where they are supposed to be.
That is why Jeremiah was preaching the same thing.
Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.”
This was in fact why Jesus came.
VERSES 11-16
Jesus came because the flock of God was disillusioned and scattered.
Matthew 9:36 “Seeing the people, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd.”
That is also why we received the powerful sermon in John 10.
John 10:11-15 “I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. “He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. “He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. “I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep.”
So Jesus came to gather God’s flock.
To heal God’s flock.
To bind up God’s flock.
To strengthen God’s flock.
And then when Christ left, He turned His flock over
To new shepherds who were intended to care for it.
Remember what Jesus told Peter before he left?
John 21:15-17 “So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?” And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.” Jesus said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
Peter then took that passed it along to us:
1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”
Christ is the “Chief Shepherd”
Elders and overseers are the “Under Shepherds”.
Our calling is not to build our own flock,
But to remember that we are to take care of God’s flock.
If Kermit goes out of town for a few days
And enlists someone to watch his sheep.
When he returns he expects that his sheep
Have been well-fed, protected, and cared for.
THE POINT IS: SHEEP NEED A SHEPHERD TO SURVIVE
And God knew it was also true of the church (His flock)
However, God does not leave His flock in the care of just anyone.
He has a serious list of qualifications that the temporary caretaker
Must have before He allows him to watch His flock.
16 qualifications in all, we have grouped them into 5 main categories.
His Desire
His Character
His Family
His Maturity
His Reputation
We looked at the first two last week.
His Desire
(1) “If any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”
If doesn’t desire it, aren’t you concerned about his faithfulness?
His Character
(2-3) “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money.”
And as we said last week, of the 12 qualities listed there,
11 deal with character.
Only “able to teach” deals with ability.
The rest examine the character of the man.
(Mostly it is his character, but he does need to be able to carry a feed bucket)
It is important to examine what type of man he is.
And so you see instantly that God is not just looking for anyone
It is a serious job, and one that must be taken seriously.
The Spiritual Health of the flock
Depends upon the oversight of the shepherd.
That is why Paul tells Timothy:
1 Timothy 4:16 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
The spiritual health of the flock
Depends upon the oversight of the shepherd.
His Desire, His Character
#3 HIS FAMILY
1 Timothy 3:4-5
“He must be one who manages his own household well,”
What we have here is his resume.
This is his credentials.
This is his job experience.
I’ve often heard the statement,
“God doesn’t call the qualified, God qualifies the called.”
While there is some truth to that, it certainly does not apply here (or for deacons for that matter)
A deacon “must first be tested” (10)
And an overseer must have his family examined.
If he is not qualified, he is not to be called.
“He must be one who manages his own household well,”
SO WHAT ARE WE LOOKING AT?
“keeping his children under control with all dignity”
This may be the most universally broken qualification of all of them.
How else do “preacher’s kids” get such a reputation?
According to Scripture, the preacher’s kids ought to be
The most well-behaved children of anyone in the church.
After all, they live 24-7 with a man
Who is supposed to be better equipped than anyone
For addressing spiritual issues and leading people to spiritual health.
That means that if he is good at what he does,
Those who live the closest to him ought to be the most spiritual.
That is why to Titus Paul said:
Titus 1:6 “namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.”
Paul told Titus that his children must be believers.
HE MUST MANAGE HIS HOUSEHOLD
TURN TO: MATTHEW 13:51-52
Having studied this chapter in Sunday School,
You know that Matthew 13 is chalk full of parables.
And each parable here deals with the Kingdom of Heaven.
There are 8 in all.
But it is the eighth and last one that deals with the household manager.
(Read 51-52)
You saw this again in Sunday School this morning.
Matthew 24:45-51 “Who then is the faithful and sensible slave whom his master put in charge of his household to give them their food at the proper time? “Blessed is that slave whom his master finds so doing when he comes. “Truly I say to you that he will put him in charge of all his possessions. “But if that evil slave says in his heart, ‘My master is not coming for a long time,’ and begins to beat his fellow slaves and eat and drink with drunkards; the master of that slave will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour which he does not know, and will cut him in pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”
And so it is clear that when Paul says that “He must be one who manages his own household well”
That he must be one who can demonstrate the ability
To spiritually guide his family.
And therefore it is a tragedy when churches call men to serve as pastor
Who do not keep their children in line.
This is a giant indicator that somewhere
Between this man’s preaching and his daily living
There is a glaring inconsistency.
Preacher’s kids turn away from the faith because they saw dad be a hypocrite, and to them it all looks like a hoax.
He must be able to manage his family.
And then Paul invokes some logic into the scenario.
(5) “(but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?)”
And the answer is: POORLY
• If he doesn’t lead his children to godliness, do you expect that he will lead yours there?
• If he hasn’t led his wife in such a way that she will submit to his leadership, do you expect that anyone else in the church will?
And so not only do we examine an overseer’s desire and character,
But we also examine his family.
His Desire, His Character, His Family
#4 HIS MATURITY
1 Timothy 3:6
And while it certainly helps for the man
To be mature in a physical and emotional sense,
THE MAIN IDEA HERE IS THAT HE BE SPIRITUALLY MATURE.
That is what Paul means by:
“and not a new convert”
Certainly there is nothing wrong with a man being a “new convert”;
We all have to start somewhere.
And that doesn’t mean that he won’t later be qualified.
But new converts are not allowed.
In one sense, we know that new converts
Are not sound enough in the Scriptures
Titus 1:9-11 “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.”
But even if a man knows the Scriptures (similar to Paul)
If he is a new convert, he is still not qualified.
For the reason here is not based on ability,
But on maturity and discernment.
“so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.”
If you bestow the honor of being an overseer on a new convert,
He is prone to feel that his calling had something to do with his ability.
He might fall into the same “condemnation” that the devil fell into it.
WHAT DID HE FALL INTO?
Isaiah 14:12-15 “How you have fallen from heaven, O star of the morning, son of the dawn! You have been cut down to the earth, You who have weakened the nations! “But you said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God, And I will sit on the mount of assembly In the recesses of the north. ‘I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’ “Nevertheless you will be thrust down to Sheol, To the recesses of the pit.”
It was Satan whose high position when to his head, he couldn’t handle it
And he tried to steal the glory that rightly belonged to God.
A young convert is especially susceptible to this temptation.
(Did we not just see Hezekiah fall prey to it?)
THIS IS A REAL TEMPTATION FOR ALL PREACHERS.
We call it AMBITION
It is that nagging little thought that subtly creeps into a pastor’s head
That he thinks himself more valuable than he ought.
And before long he gets tired of passing all the glory over to God
And determines to keep some for himself so he can move up the ladder.
When Paul spoke to the elders of Ephesus he said:
Acts 20:29-30 “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”
Paul knew that some would fall into that condemnation.
And ambition is a dangerous thing.
James 3:14-16 “But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.”
To be ambitious is to be like Satan.
And that is a real temptation even for mature believers
With years of ministry experience.
But Paul knows that it is a temptation
Too great to bestow on a new believer
His Desire, His Character, His Family, His Maturity
#5 HIS REPUTATION
1 Timothy 3:7
“And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church,”
“reputation” translates MARTURIA (martyr)
“a certifying testimony”
In Acts 1:8 – “You shall be my witnesses” (martes)
And so the idea here is that the overseer
Must have “a good witness”
He must have a credible reputation.
A reputation that certifies that his character is real.
The idea here is that even a lost man can see that he is godly.
Certainly the lost will not always agree with his theology,
But if they are being honest,
They will concede that his character is righteous.
(I was accused of this)
The idea here is not if the world agrees with the preacher,
But if they think he practices what he preaches.
In one sense this is an obvious necessity.
How else will he search for the lost sheep if those sheep do not trust him as a qualified shepherd?
His reputation must be good.
He must be trusted by the lost sheep.
But even more so than that Paul gives us the reason.
“so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”
Paul says that an overseer with a shady reputation
Has the chance to fall into reproach and then into the devil’s snare.
WHAT IS THAT?
2 Timothy 2:22-26 “Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
Paul reveals to Timothy that there are some false teachers
Who oppose the truth by advocating “foolish and ignorant speculations”.
These are men who cause division and teach a false gospel.
Paul later says that they have fallen into “the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.”
And so we learn a little about what Paul means.
That a man with a bad reputation who continues as an overseer
Is actually a man who does more to benefit the work of Satan,
To destroy the church, than the work of God to build it.
• If he is preaching heresy he is obviously doing Satan’s work.
• But even if he is preaching truth, his inconsistent lifestyle is giving the lost all the excuse they need not to believe him.
Satan loves carnal preachers.
He uses them like crazy to destroy the work of the church.
And so when a man is considered to be an overseer,
He must be evaluation based upon:
His Desire
His Character
His Family
His Maturity
His Reputation
And this evaluation must be a serious one,
For the role of a shepherd is a serious role.
The Spiritual Health of the flock depends upon him.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; 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.”
