The Needs of a Godly Church Leader - Part 2

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, September 4. 2011

1 Timothy 4:1-16, “Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.   If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach.   Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

What does a good servant of the Lord, a godly church leader, NEED to be fit or fitted, to be equipped to lead in his marriage, in his family, and in God’s church?

That question may sound like typical ‘preacher’ ‘sermon intro’ kind of question, coming at the subject of church and family leadership from a purely academic point of view.  But, listen.  Have you looked around you lately?  Paul’s words about the perilous times, the dangerous days yet to come, we’re living in them!  They’re here!  Don’t believe me?  Take a look at the condition of families and marriages, your family and your marriage.  Don’t believe me?  Take a look at the church, yes, even this church. 

An introductory question like the one I posed, what a man, a servant of the Lord, needs to be equipped to lead his wife, his children and his fellow believers, that question is no longer purely academic, it is a matter of extreme urgency. 

We’re talking about the PRIORITIES, no the ‘maybes’ or the ‘could bes’, but the ‘must bes’ of godly manhood.  You remember the quips, don’t you?  ‘As the husband goes, so goes the ______.’  ‘As the father goes, so go the ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­________.’  ‘As the shepherd goes, so go the ______.’  Godly leadership, and what it takes to do it, to be a godly leader in one’s marriage, to one’s children, in God’s church, is no longer optional, or simply a matter of classroom discussion.  No!  It is an urgent necessity! 

So, what DOES a man need to lead, to give, to guide his family, and God’s flock?  Used to, we might have thought that all he needs to get the job done is an extra bowl of Wheaties, or perhaps an additional slice of Wonder Bread.  But listen, that won’t cut it in the perilous latter days scenario Paul describes here.  No!  Remember?  The man of God, seeking to lead his wife to follow Christ, the man of God, yearning to bring up his children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, the man of God, propelled by the Spirit of God to shepherd the sheep, he needs good food.  He needs daily nourishment derived from the good doctrine, the ‘Red Letter Soup’ I mentioned last week.

Secondly, he needs good exercise.  P.E. is fine.  Keep the body in shape  Keep the muscles toned up.  You’re going need them for this kind of work.  But listen, Fellows.  You know what you’re going to need even more?  1 Timothy 4:7-8, you’re going to need to exert yourself in the direction of godliness!  Unlike mold and mildew, spiritual growth doesn’t just happen!  To become more and more like Jesus Christ doesn’t just happen by way of your location in the Lazyboy with the remote control in hand!  Unless, that is, you set those things aside and spend a half hour or more on your knees, and with this Book and a pen and paper in hand! 

Marriage leaders, family leaders, church leaders need good exercise to lead.  They need good food to lead.  They need good courage to lead, also.  Monday morning quarterbacks and second-guess Sams will do everything they can to keep you on the sidelines, or maybe even out of the stadium!  But, listen, Fellows.  It’s time to buck-up!  1 Corinthians 16:13 – Paul puts it like this: “Be watchful, stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong.” 

You want to lead in your marriage, in your family and in the Lord’s Church?  You must have COURAGE!  Ask the Lord Jesus, the most courageous person who has ever walked the face of the earth, and He’ll give it to you! 

What does a good and godly leader NEED, if he’s going to lead his wife, his children, and the flock of God, where God wants him to lead them, and how God wants him to lead them?  1 Timothy 4:12 – He needs a good reputation. 

1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity.”

Proverbs 22:1 has an interesting, and I believe, very powerful nugget of truth to give us along these lines: it says, “A good name is to be chosen more than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold.”  Luke tells us in Luke 2 that the young child, the adolescent Jesus, grew in four key areas of life.  Do you remember what they were?  Luke 2:52, “Jesus grew, He increased, in wisdom, in stature, in favor with God…” and then it says that Jesus grew, He increased “in favor with men.”  His good and godly reputation increased. 

Men and young men-in-the-making, do you realize that the very first and very last quality or qualification for church leadership listed by the apostle Paul in 1 Timothy 3, is the qualification of a good reputation?  Take a look: 1 Timothy 3:2, 1 Timothy 3:7 and even 1 Timothy 3:10, “A bishop, an overseer, an elder must be blameless”, he must have a good reputation, a clean slate, verse 7, he must have a “good report” among outsiders.  Why?  Why is it so important for men, godly men who aspire to lead their families and God’s flock, to have a good reputation?  Because God’s good name is at stake!  Yes, Fellows, whether we realize or not, whether we like it or not, our lives, and yes, even the lives of those God has commissioned to lead here and at home, what are they?  Whether we realize or not, whether we like or not, our lives and their lives are living, breathing BILL BOARDS advertising our Lord!  What’s the ‘message’ people see and hear about Christ when they ‘read’ your life and life style?  Remember the quips?  ‘As the husband goes, so goes the…’  ‘As the father goes..’ ‘As the shepherd goes..’  What does a godly church and family leader need?  A must have is a good reputation!  And, listen, men, God knows the real you and me!

What does a godly church and family leader need?  He needs good food, good exercise, a good courage, a good reputation.  Then, next, he also needs, or maybe I should say, “has been given,” a good assignment.  1 Timothy 4:13 – Paul lays out that assignment for his young colleague, Timothy, like this: “Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”  As you can see, Paul sets forth three major tasks for Timothy to pursue as a godly leader.  What are they?  Reading…  Reading, what?  Solomon had this interesting observation to make about reading: “Of the making of books there is no end,” (Ecclesiastes 12:12) and “much study is a weariness of the flesh.”  I think if Solomon was writing that verse for 21^st century, American men, he would put it like this: “Of the making of magazine, Sports Illustrated, Popular Mechanics, Field and Stream, Hot Rod, etc. there is no end, and too much time in them is a waste of time..”  Men, we are called to LEAD our wives, our children, and this flock, in the way God wants us to lead them.  How much help in doing so will you gain from that pile of magazines lying beside your LazyBoy? 

READ, READING, for your sake, you need to read this Book!  But, you know what else I think the apostle Paul envisioned here?  He envisioned marriage-leaders, husbands, reading God’s Word to their wives.  He envisioned fathers, gathering their children and grandchildren around them on the sofa and reading God’s Word to them.  Yes, church leaders reading, not from the READER’S DIGEST, or from the latest, best-selling novel, but from this Book to God’s people! 

Why?  So that we can teach them from it, and exhort them to be doers of it!  A good assignment, men, that’s what we have.  A good assignment to read, to exhort, and to teach our wives, our children, and God’s people, from this Book!  But, how are we going to get all this done? 

There are two more things that a godly leader NEEDS that I want you to take note of with me, before we close: 1 Timothy 4:14-16.  Let’s read that section of the text together, shall we?

1 Timothy 4:14-16, “Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership.  Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all.  Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”

To carry out the assignments of godly leadership, godly men need at least two things: number one, they need a good focus.  Writing to Timothy, Paul knew that many things, many enticing, alluring, and even important-sounding things could capture Timothy’s attention, his time, energy and especially, his heart.  In so many words, in these three verses, Paul urges Timothy to keep his focus where it should be: on his spiritual giftedness, verse 14, on what Paul had taught him, verse 15, and, yes on himself, and what he was to do as a godly leader, verse 16.  

“Keep the focus, Timothy.”  A good and godly leader must constantly attend to the Holy Spirit’s ‘fireplace’ within him.  To neglect it, to take a ‘I couldn’t care less’ attitude about it, is to open the door for the flame to go out!  In his second letter to Timothy, Paul urged him a second time regarding the very same thing: he said, “Stir up the gift of God which is in you by the laying on of my hands,” (2 Timothy 1:6).  Keep the focus, men, we must keep the focus on our spiritual giftedness, to increase its intensity, to enhance its effectiveness.

Secondly, keep the focus on the Word.  Verse 15 – Now, you and I don’t have a Paul writing letters to us, like Timothy did, do we?  Or…, do we?

“Meditate” – the idea there is literally to “rack your brain”, mulling over what this Book says so that you can teach it, so that you can live it… As the husband goes…  As the father goes…  As the shepherd goes…  Keep the focus on the Word.  Keep the focus on yourself, and on the doctrine, on what you are teaching your wife, your children, and God’s flock.  Continue in them, Paul says… why? 

Why?  The PRIORITIES of Godly Leadership, what does a godly leader need?  He needs good food, he needs good exercise, he needs a good courage , he needs a good reputation, he has and needs to keep a good assignment and he needs a good focus.  Why?  1 Timothy 4:16 – Because he has, because he must always keep in mind that he has, a good goal.  “Take heed unto yourself, and unto the doctrine, continue in them” – why?  “Because in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you…” 

Salvation, eternal salvation – heaven - and its opposite, eternal damnation – hell – in view of the perilous times, these dangerous, latter days in which we live, men, is there any more lofty goal than that?  “Take heed to yourself and to what you are teaching your wife, your children, and God’s flock…”  ‘As the husband goes, so goes the wife.’  ‘As the father goes, so go the children.’  ‘As the shepherd goes, so go the sheep.’  “Take heed to yourself, take heed to what your words AND your life is teaching them…”  Why?  Because of eternity. 

The Needs of a Godly Church Leader - Part 1

Preached at Northwest Christian Church

David P. Kautt

Sunday Morning, August 28, 2011

1 Timothy 4:1-16, “  Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons, speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their own conscience seared with a hot iron, forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from foods which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth. For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving; for it is sanctified by the word of God and prayer.  If you instruct the brethren in these things, you will be a good minister of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed. But reject profane and old wives’ fables, and exercise yourself toward godliness. For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness is profitable for all things, having promise of the life that now is and of that which is to come. This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance. For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe. These things command and teach.  Let no one despise your youth, but be an example to the believers in word, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Do not neglect the gift that is in you, which was given to you by prophecy with the laying on of the hands of the eldership. Meditate on these things; give yourself entirely to them, that your progress may be evident to all. Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine. Continue in them, for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.

What does it mean, what is required to lead in God’s church?  As we count down the days till we participate in the process of God’s raising up those He would have lead in this congregation, we have been privileged to examine, and challenged as we’ve examined, what God’s Word has to teach us about Church Leadership. 

We’ve looked at the passage in 1 Peter 5, where we found out that to lead in God’s Church – simply put – a man must be a Christian, he must truly be born again, and if he isn’t, he has no business in that position of influence.  Secondly, we observed that men of influence in God’s church, godly church leaders, must be aware of the needs of the people.  They must see the flock, and even the lost, as God sees them, as Christ sees them, and then, they must have a desire, an ability, and certainly an opportunity, an open door, to meet those needs.  Such is the nature of the call, or calling, to godly church leadership.

Last week, we rehearsed some of the prayers of a godly church leader, beginning with the simply, humble petition, “Lord, help me to be the godly church leader you want me to be.”  “Help me, Lord, to be a disciple-making teacher, help me to be a single-minded soldier/athlete, help me to be an enduring farmer, a diligent workman, a sanctified vessel, a gentle servant, Lord, I want to be, I know You want me to be, yes, God, HELP me to be a godly church leader…”

Before we move on to what we must take in from this passage of Scripture, allow me to point out, to suggest something to all of you, for your consideration.  Chew on this one with me, will you?  EVERY MAN, every boy, who, the Lord-willing, will one day be a man, is what?  He is a potential church leader!  Every man, every man-in-the-making, is a potential church leader.  Fathers, mothers, spouses, sisters, brothers, what are you doing to assist those men and future men in your life, in becoming what God intends for them to be?  What are you doing to help them become fit, equipped, qualified, to lead in marriage, in family and then, in the church? 

As we think again about church leadership, godly church leadership, and, in particular, as we look today at the subject of the priorities of church leadership; allow me to open up the subject this way: 3 little quips, each with a blank for you to fill in.  Number one: “As the husband goes, so goes the ______.”  Number two, “As the father goes, so go the _________.”  And, then, number three, “As the shepherd goes, so go the ______.” 

When we’re talking about leadership, the kind of leadership God intends for marriage, for family, for the church, what are we ultimately talking about?  We’re talking about INFLUENCE, aren’t we?  “As the husband goes, so goes the wife…”  That’s marital influence, leadership, either for good or for evil, in marriage.  Then there’s, “As the father goes, so go the children.”  That’s family influence, isn’t it?  Then, number three, the area of influence in the church, leadership of the flock of God, remember?  The quip went something like this: “As the shepherd or shepherds go, so go the sheep.” 

What are the PRIORITIES, not the ‘maybes”, not the “could bes”, but what the “must bes”, the PRIORITIES of the godly church leader?  I know it’s going to sound strange, perhaps even like a contradiction, to what we’ve learned already from our look at this subject the last few weeks, but hear me out, please.  As important as it is for a godly church leader to be aware of others’ needs, and to be asking God to aim him to meet those needs, listen, before a godly man, a church leader or leader-in-the-making can even get to that point, he must first come to grips with what he needs to be able, to be prepared and equipped to do so. 

1 Timothy 4:6-16 – What does a good servant of the Lord, a godly church leader, need to be fit, to be equipped to lead in his marriage, in his family, and in the church?

Verse 6 – He needs good food…  “If you instruct the brethren in these things,” Paul urges his young colleague Timothy, “[then] you will be a good minister (the word there is ‘servant’, ‘deacon’) of Jesus Christ, nourished in the words of faith and of the good doctrine which you have carefully followed.”  You’ve heard the old adage, haven’t you?  And, if we look at our body, perhaps we’ll know the truth of the adage.  It goes like this: “We are what we eat…”  Is it wise, is it LOGICAL, for us to expect a man, or man-in-the-making to be or become a godly husband/marriage leader, a godly father/family leader and a godly shepherd/church leader, if we are watching him, maybe even encouraging him, to fill up on ding-dongs, French fries and diet coke?  How is it, think it through with me, will you?  How is it that a man is to be or become a good minister of Jesus Christ, instructing the brethren, beginning with his own wife and children, in the good things of God, in the nourishing, muscle-building things of God’s Word, if he is not first feed himself that kind of food??

What is it that a godly man, a godly marriage, family and church leader – needs – first and foremost?  He needs food.  He needs to ask God, seek God’s Word, asking the Lord, “Would you feed me, would nourish me and strengthen me in the words of faith, and of the good doctrine…” 

By the way, fellows, maybe even you Ladies…  Are you wondering if you could see a ‘menu’?  As your ‘waiter’ this morning, allow me to suggest to you the ‘Red Letter Soup’ as your first choice.  Yes, my friends, you can go a long ways, find a great deal of spiritual nourishment, from those ‘Red Letter Words’, the Words of Jesus, from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.  What does a good servant of the Lord need first?  He needs good food.

Secondly, 1 Timothy 4:7, he needs, you need, I need, good exercise.  Now about this time, I know – fellows – you’re going to think that I’m starting to sound too much like a doctor, and men, most men, yes, even this man, hates to go to the doctor.  But, look – listen – it’s not what you think.  It’s not back to boot camp and push-ups, sit-ups, and calestenics.  Nor, is it P.E. class all over again.  “Hooray,” right?  No, look at the text with me, will you? Verses 7 & 8, Paul continues his instruction, he continues pointing young Timothy in the direction of godly manhood, when he declares, “But reject profane and old wives’ fables”.  What’s Paul talking about here?  He’s talking about bad ‘food’, about spiritual food that tears down rather than nourishes up - reject it – strike it off the ‘menu’!  And, instead, what are you to do?  Along with that good food, starting with the red letter soup, and then good back to places like Genesis and Exodus, and Psalms and Proverbs, along with that good food, Paul urges us to add in good exercise.  It’s time to go to God’s gym, so that you can “exercise yourself toward godliness.  For bodily exercise profits a little, but godliness, become more like Jesus Christ, more patient, more tender-hearted, more discerning, more humble, more faithful and so on, godliness, the object, the goal of Spiritual exertion, spiritual exercise, what is the ultimate outcome of godliness?  “Bodily exercise profits a little, it rewards you and me with only a temporary pay-off, but godliness is profitable for all things”, it will benefit you in every area of your life, and, not only that, but look.  It also has built into it a promise like no other promise.  “Godliness… has promise of the life that now is, and of the life that is to come…” 

What does a good – a godly – marriage, family and church leader need?  He needs good exercise… By the way, as your ‘personal trainer’ for the day, do you mind if I make a recommendation as to where to begin?  First step in a good, spiritual ‘work-out’ begins right here, on your knees, on your face, stretched out, humbly prostrated before the Lord of the universe, the God of your salvation! 

What is it that a good, a godly leader needs, if he’s going to lead his wife, his children, and the flock of God, in the paths of righteousness?  He needs good food.  Secondly, he needs good exercise.  Then, thirdly, he needs to ask God to develop in him a good courage.  1 Timothy 4:10 – “For to this end we both labor and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of those who believe…”  A good and godly leader needs a good courage.  Fellows, how many of you have ever played the role of ‘Monday-morning quarter back’?  How many of us have got all the maneuvers of ‘Second-guess Sam’ down pat?  How many of us, from our vantage point on the sidelines, played end, guard and tackle (end of the bench, guarding the water bucket, tackling anyone who gets near it), know what we would have done if WE were the leaders?  It’s easy to throw ‘potshots’ at the guy on the field, isn’t it?  But, what happens when the ‘Coach’ calls you’re your name, and says, ‘Kautt, time for you to play quarterback?’  What then?  It’s time for some courage, isn’t it?  Godly leaders, you want to know what I think keeps many a man from stepping out on the field to do battle against enemies like greed, and pride and lust?  What keeps them from taking on marriage, family and

church-wrecking things, yes, even in their own lives, like pornography, and gambling and alcohol and laziness?  COURAGE.  They lack courage!  They know that to face and to face-up-to enemies like that in their lives and in others’ lives, they will also have to endure the blood, the sweat and even the tears that go with it, and they’re just not ready to do it!  Yes, they know, that to step out on that field is to open oneself up to all the ridicule, the criticism and the out and out bashing of the Monday-morning, Sunday after church, quarterbacks, the Second-guess Sams, and the end, guard and tackle.  And they’re just not up to it!  So, what do they need?  Fellow, what do we need, to lead in our marriages, our families, and in God’s church?  We need courage!  And, you wives, mothers, sisters, and even brothers, Christian brothers, what can you do to help them?  You can EN-courage them!  You can pray for them, exhort them from this Book, and cheer them on, so as to put courage into them! 

What does a godly leader need?  Fellows, there’s more to learn from this passage regarding this subject, and Lord-willing, next time we will take a look at those things.  But, in the meantime, while you and I are prayerfully evaluating the possibility of our taking the lead, of our answering the ‘Coach’s’ call to step onto the field, you ought to ask yourself this one significant question: if I am to lead my wife, my children, and God’s people, as Christ wants me to lead them, what do I need?  I need good food, I need good exercise, and I need good courage.  Ask the Lord to give you what you need, to lead, will you? 

What the Bible Says about Godly Manhood & Godly Fatherhood

What the Bible Says about Godly Manhood and Godly Fatherhood - David Kautt 6-21-2009 Northwest Christian Church - Father's Day Sunday.

• Godly Men Cling to their Own Wives: Genesis 2:23 "And Adam said: 'This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man.'" Verse 24 concludes with, "Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh."
• Godly Men Rejoice in their Own Wives: Proverbs 5:18 "Let your fountain be blessed, and rejoice with the wife of your youth."
• Godly Men Love their Own Wives: Ephesians 5:25, 28-29 "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church."
• Godly Men Give Honor and Respect to their Own Wives: 1 Peter 3:7 "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered."
• Godly Men Show Their Love for Their Children by Training Them, Disciplining Them and Guiding Them in God's Way: Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 13:24 "He who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines him promptly." Proverbs 19:18 "Chasten your son while there is hope, and do not set your heart on his destruction." Ephesians 6:4 "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord."
• Godly Men Show Their Fitness for Church Leadership by Leading Their Wives and Children in a Godly Way: 1 Timothy 3:1-5 "This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; not quarrelsome, not covetous; one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?)"

Some important truths that David shared with his congregation this past Sunday (Father's Day). Are you a Godly man? Are you a Godly father? Take some time to study your role as the head of your house.

The Nobility of Godly Church Leadership

Preached at Northwest Christian Church
Sunday, Jan 11, 2009 A.M. service
by David Kautt

1 Timothy 3:1-13:
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop,[a] he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,[b] but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
8 Likewise deacons must be reverent, not double-tongued, not given to much wine, not greedy for money, 9 holding the mystery of the faith with a pure conscience. 10 But let these also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons, being found blameless. 11 Likewise, their wives must be reverent, not slanderers, temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Let deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. 13 For those who have served well as deacons obtain for themselves a good standing and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.

It has often been said that no group – whether that group be a company of workers, a gathering of soldiers, a collection of athletes, or, for that matter, a family or a congregation of Christians - ever rises above the level of its leaders. And…that the success of any group lies, in great part, in the hands of its leaders.

Beloved, I know that those old truisms about leadership are not inspired Scripture, that they don’t come ultimately from the mouth of God. Nevertheless, I think that there is quite a bit of truth contained in them that is worthy of one’s consideration.

LEADERSHIP – Godly leadership that begins first in the Christian home, the proving ground, so to speak, for any worthwhile endeavor. Godly leadership that, is then exercised in the context of the local church. As we delve a little further into some of the foundational truths of the Christian faith early in this new year, I find it quite interesting and, yes, quite instructive to note that one of the first ‘faithful sayings’ – one of the first of the five so-called ‘trustworthy messages’ found in Paul’s letters to Timothy and Titus – is one that deals with the subject of leadership – godly church leadership. Notice again 1Timothy one, and note, in particular what the apostle Paul says:

Led as he is by the Holy Spirit of God, he’s writing in an era of the early Church, when the Church and in particular, the Jesus Christ-commissioned apostle of the Church are having to address assaults on the Church from within and without. He’s writing so as to safeguard the Church and the Gospel of Jesus Christ as they [the apostles] will soon be passing off the scene, and others – like Timothy and Titus - will be leading in their places. He’s writing – aware of the fact that already false teachers and phony believers are creeping in – to men who were trying to lead the faithful away from inspired Scripture and apostolic doctrine, and into an unholy allegiance to these false brothers and their unhealthy doctrine.

Take a look at 1 Timothy 1:3-7 and you will see what I mean:
3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Paul is writing, urging Timothy to "instruct the brethren…in the words of faith, and of the GOOD doctrine," so as to be a good minister of Jesus Christ, and to reject the profane and old wives fables, the doctrines of demons that many were seeming to promote within the context of the local Church. (1 Timothy 4:1 and following). Furthermore, the Apostle Paul is writing, knowing full well the background, going all the way back to the garden of Eden, and the sin of woman and man that’s underneath it. Yes, furthermore, Paul is writing - having that Garden of Eden perspective in mine [with the realization and the complete understanding that leadership - godly male leadership – will be a struggle], whether we’re talking about in the home, or in the church. It will be a struggle between man and woman, a husband and a wife, because it has been a struggle going all the way back to the first man and woman, Adam and Eve. (Please read 1 Timothy 2:8-15 for more on this.)

LEADERSHIP. Godly leadership that begins, first, in the Christian home, at the proving ground, and then that carries over [or ought to carry over] into the life of the local church. As I said a moment ago, it is not only very interesting, but also very instructive to observe that one of the first of these faithful sayings Paul used in his letters of encouragement to his young ministry colleagues Timothy and Titus, is the subject of leadership, godly church leadership.

1 Timothy 3:1. Take note again of what Paul has to say here. He says, "This is a faithful saying:" literally, a ‘trustworthy word’… "If a man desires the position of a bishop" (an overseer, or we might use the terms ‘elder’ or ‘shepherd’)… "If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work’ – he yearns to take part in a noble task.

Brothers and Sisters, in thinking through the background for this passage [as we have already briefly laid out for you a few moments ago] and in digging a little deeper into this passage, into its message and meaning so as to teach it to you today, I couldn’t help but ask myself (and desire to urge you to ask yourselves) this question: "This is a true saying, a faithful, trustworthy word – if a man desires [sets his heart on] the position of church leader, he desires a good work. He yearns for a noble task." Beloved, in light of that statement, I couldn’t help but ask myself, "What is it about the work – the task of godly church leadership, leadership, as we noted, that begins first in the Christian home, and then that can rightfully be carried over into the local church – my loved ones, in light of this, I found myself asking the apostle Paul, "What is it about the task of church leadership that would cause Paul to say of it "It is a good work, it is a noble task"?

Think it through with me, will you? Godly church leadership – leadership, both in the home and in the church – what is it about this task that makes it worthy of the descriptions ‘good’ and ‘noble’?

Beloved, before we take a run at answering that question, allow me to again point out to you, to remind you, that is we are to answer a question like this accurately, properly and above all, Biblically, we go where for our input? Right here. Right here. God’s word. If we want to know about godly male leadership, whether it be pertaining to the home (marriage and the family), or whether it pertains to the church, we must go here, first and foremost, for input! This is our source. This is our Guide Book.

What is it about the task of church leadership that would prompt the apostle Paul to refer to it as a ‘good work,’ a ‘noble task’?

Allow me to suggest at least two or three possible answers to that question for you to consider.

How many of you ever read the ‘want ads’? You know, the classified advertisement section of the daily newspaper?

And how many of you ever read, or ever have read that part of the ‘want ads’ section we might call the ‘job listings’?

Think about those listings for a minute with me, will you? What do they tell you? What do they indicate to a newspaper reader like you or me? Well, they inform, don’t they, about who is hiring, about who is looking for employees and how to contact such and such company for more information, right?

But is that all that these ads usually carry in them? No, usually they also tell the reader – the potential employee – something of what the prospective employer is looking for, both in terms of job skills and in terms of personal qualities.

Now, hold that thought in mind for a moment, and listen now to this ‘want ad’ – this ‘job posting’:
WANTED – man who "desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil."

How many of us have ever come across an ad like that one in the morning paper before? Beloved, it’s not there, is it? You simply won’t find such an ad in the paper anything like that ad. You know why that is? I think it is because the ‘job’ – if you want to call it that – the ‘task’, the ‘work’ of godly church leadership [and believe me, it is work] if it is carried out in this way. You will not find another job posting like this one found in the Bible anywhere. Why? Because it is a cut – really 3 or 4 cuts – above any other job! It is a good work, a noble task, and how do we know that? We know it by way of what Scripture says regarding the sterling qualities of godly character – real godly manhood – that are necessarily evident in those who are truly qualified to lead.

In other words, we know it because of the kind of men it takes, the kind of men God is looking for, to fulfill the task of church leadership!
Before we leave this point and move on to the next one, allow me to underline two or three other things for you right here. Sterling qualities like a solid reputation, blamelessness within the church and a good testimony to those who are outside of the church. Sterling qualities like self-control in matters pertaining to sexuality and money and, even emotions. Sterling qualities as to a track record of godly leadership in his own marriage, and over his own children – first. And yes, sterling qualities as to spiritual and even relational maturity, so as not to be susceptible to the devil’s snares and pitfalls – the snares and pitfalls of pride and arrogance. Sterling qualities therefore, that enable such a man to teach, to instruct God’s people both by word and by example.

Beloved, please note with me, that as far as this ‘Job Description’ [from God’s Word] is concerned, these qualities [qualifications] are not optional. You know, "great if you have them, but okay and acceptable if you don’t." Rather, they are a necessity, a requirement, a must! Once again, verse two: "A bishop then, must be blameless…" and so on. And, down a little further, in verses 7 and 8, and even verses 11 and 12 – the goodness of this work, the nobility of the task of godly church leadership is underscored by the fact that these qualities, these sterling characteristics are not optional. They are required!

Now, think about all of that with me for just a moment, and then – think again about the little truism with which we began our study: Remember? The saying went like this: "No group ever rises above the level of its leaders!" And, the success of any group lies, to a great degree, in the hands of its leaders!"

Yes, Beloved, the nobility of the task of church leadership is inseparably linked to the necessary qualities -–the got-to-have-them characteristics of qualified church leaders!

But then, think with me also, about this aspect of the subject. Where do men like this show up? Where are we to find men who are consistently and conscientiously displaying these kinds of qualities?

Well, ladies, you wives – you might be thinking, "The only men I ever find like that are in my dreams!" [Ha! Ha!]

You know, we may laugh at that, and perhaps even figure there is some truth to that. Hey, I am a man. A man, mind you, not God. And I know the weaknesses and frailties that we male types have, believe me! But listen. Listen, my dear Sisters. Maybe the reason you don’t find a man like that in the fellow sitting next to you is because you haven’t taken your ‘critical glasses’ off long enough to look. Or, perhaps part of the reason your man is not like this seemingly ‘ideal man’ is because you haven’t been praying for him as you should, asking the Lord to help him become this Kind of man!

But listen fellows, before I overdo it in my exhortation to your wives (and, perhaps, even your mothers and sisters an daughters), permit me to look you straight in the eye and ask you that very same question one more time: Where do men like this kind of men show up?

Well, let me tell you first of all, where they don’t show up! My Brothers, they don’t show up – for any of us fellows who think we still have the physique to flaunt it – they don’t show up in front of the mirror, flexing their muscles – oohing an aahing about how good they look! No, they don’t! No, they show up down here – down here – on their knees – before the One Who is all beauty and majesty and power! And, listen my Brothers, instead of lazing back in their recliners with a can of beer or soda in one hand, and the remote in the other – men like this show up with this Book [the Bible] on their laps, and their eyes wide open to what it says!

And you know why that is? Well, my Brothers, - and you sisters, too – Here’s why that is:

It is because of one reason and one reason only. Hear me well, would you, please? Men like this show up – godly men like this are seen and serving wherever the Holy Spirit is and has been active and at work in men’s lives! In other words, my loved ones, this ‘want ad’, this job description, full of these exceedingly lofty requirements – this ‘noble task’ can only be carried out by men who know, first and foremost, the truth of Zechariah 4:6 – the word of the Lord to a leader, a man by the name of Zerubbabel:
"Not by might (your might, my might), not by power (your power, my power), but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts!"

"This is a faithful saying, a trustworthy word: if a man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work!"

Footnotes:
1 Timothy 3:1 Literally overseer
1 Timothy 3:3 NU-Text omits not greedy for money.