There are thousands of books, seminars, and even college degree programs on leadership.
Interestingly, you can get a PhD in leadership without ever having led anyone…what does this say about those program’s view of what leadership is?
I will tell you…they believe that leadership is primarily cognitive, its knowing stuff.
There are hundreds of definitions of leadership out there.
This means that our concept of leadership is fluid and subjective…so, it means different things to different people.
I don’t want to add to a pile of concepts, but I will say just a couple of things I believe about a leader.
First…what should be common sense.
- You are a leader if someone is following you…pretty basic
- You are a good leader if you are leading others into good places.
Now, what is not common sense, but what God has revealed…what are those good places?
- You are going to lead others into good places if your influence is biblical in both its foundations and its outcomes…how and where we are to lead people is not fluid, it is fixed in scripture.
I will give one more important truism about leadership…
It is going to happen!
Some say, “No, I am anti-authority…I don’t believe in leadership.”
Okay…well, if you become a leader then you can convince those who follow you to believe this stuff, you will gain authority in their lives.
Leadership is going to happen…period.
William Golding, was a philosophy teacher who fought in WWII…including making the D-Day landing…he saw the nasty side of human nature.
After the War, he returned to England and to a world dominated by the Cold war and the threat of nuclear annihilation.
In 1954, he wrote a book, that was semi-Biblical in its premise…that book was the “Lord of the Flies.”
The title comes from a biblical word for Satan, Beelzebub…it means “Lord of the Flies” (flies buzzing over dung, or garbage”
The semi-biblical part is that he believed humans are sinful at the heart level.
He did not, however, believe in the God of the Bible…so no redemption, no transformation, no change from the inside out.
In the book a group of good British boys descend into a murderous chaos when stranded on an island…without adults.
Golding got the idea for the plot from another book called “The Coral Island”, a children’s adventure novel with a focus on Christianity and the supposed civilizing influence of British culture.
In Coral Island, the kids came out okay…in the Lord of the Flies…not so much.
Golding thought that the optimistic Coral Island was unrealistic, and he asked his wife whether it would be a good idea if he “wrote a book about children on an island, but who behave in the way children really would behave?”
In his story the children range from 6-12, called “big uns” and “little uns”…the outcomes are horrific.
He assumes that all children, if left to themselves would lead to a Lord of the Flies scenario.
In his dark view, all children would become barbaric…but it would depend on the children wouldn’t it?
He would say, “no” I would say “yes it would.”
It would depend on who was able to gain and maintain leadership…wouldn’t it?
What he gets right…leadership is going to happen.
And
Bad leadership will lead to bad outcomes.
It takes good leadership to obtain good outcomes.
Good leaders may get killed, they may not be followed…but if so, someone else, a bad leader has taken the lead.
You might say, “No, Terry, it’s sometimes it’s just mob rule.”
Of course in the moment, that maybe true…but over time…the mob will be ruled by someone…a leader will emerge.
Leadership is going to happen, God’s good purpose is that his people, his church are intentional about how it happens.
Leadership will happen…we are to make sure good leadership happens.
Jesus’ plan to change the world was to invest in a small group of men(12)…he had a larger following that included women and the size of it ebbed and flowed..
But he choose 12 to train and to send out as emerging leaders in his worldwide movement.
This was his epic strategy there was no plan b.
If you were to see his rag tag group of guys early on…and even up to his death…it would have seemed like a terrible strategy.
His tactics were life on life…it was, as I said last week…personal and portable.
It was who he was, and wherever he went.
It was an organized strategy, but it was organized organic.
We are in 1 Timothy chapter 3:1-13.
Here’s how we will proceed:
- I will read the passage as we work our way through it.
- I will talk briefly about what this looks like in our church.
- I will Highlight key principles that apply to us all.
Paul wrote this letter to pastor Tim, who was pastoring a church in Ephesus (Turkey)
Paul wrote it so that TIm, would play the long game.
We read this back in (1:3)…I left you there to teach good doctrine and to deal with those who are teaching and living bad doctrine.
To play the long game…the long-term health of the church and the gospel movement…Paul knew from experience and from his Master, Jesus it would require intentional leadership development.
In about 12 verses Paul is going to give a composite sketch (not exhaustive list) of character traits, and competencies that these emerging spiritual leaders will need.
Remember that in Ephesians 4:12, from a letter written to the church where Tim was pastoring, he said that pastor-teachers existed to “Equip Christ’s people for works of service” (diakonia…related to the English word deacon, or servant).
Church leadership is going to require several types of skill sets with the same level of Christlike character.
Elders and Deacons…both are necessary to release the church to go do front lines ministry.
Look at verse 1.
- Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task.
“Trustworthy saying” is a foot stomp statement…important stuff here.
He has moved from a focus on the priority of the heart in worship…to the parallel topic of congregational leadership.
Leader’s lead…they set the pace.
Healthy worship inside and outside the church will not happen without healthy leaders.
When he says, “if anyone sets his heart” this is not about emotions, but it has in mind a sense of calling from God.
Although it is true that all vocational callings are significant and God-honoring…Paul calls the task of leading and feeding God’s people…a noble one.
It is not just a job you pick at a job fair because it aligns with your personality.
Scripture uses three words that describe the role of a leader in the church, interchangeably.
Overseer, elder, pastor.
Look at Acts chapter 20
Verse 17 says that Paul summed the elders of the church, then he told these elders this, in verse 28.
“Keep watch over yourselves (self self-control) and all the flock (leadership) of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds (where we get our word pastor from) of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”
So the three terms, elder, overseer, and pastor are used interchangeably…in that single chapter
They are three functional descriptions of spiritual leadership in the church.
Elder: literally means “older”. The idea was these men are spiritually, emotionally…mature.
Overseer: See over, organization, administrative function.
Pastor: Shepherd…Feed (teach), lead, see to it that the people are cared for.
These are the three pictures on my wall in my office, my mom gave these to me 40 years ago.
Pastors, shepherds…comfort, teach(feed), care for, lead, and protect.
*A pastor is not like a business executive (though there is some business like functions to be attended to), but they are shepherds…actually, under shepherds.
I have a business degree…but the church is not a business.
I have heard business leaders complain that the church should be lead more like a business…unfortunately it too often is.
Truth be told…businesses should often be lead more like the church…especially in how leaders are selected and trained.
In 1 Peter 2:25, Christ is called the ” Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.”
Later in that book Jesus is called the “Chief shepherd” the implication is that Peter, and all other pastors, are “under shepherds”…serving under him…it is his church, never any man’s church.
The next 5 verses are three sentences with one hundred words in the English translation.
In the Greek it is one sentence and 57 words.
The difference is because the translation is trying to “smooth out” the language and make it readable.
This isn’t bad…a translation isn’t just about trying to duplicate words from one language to another but to communicate meaning.
But this difference is important here…because Paul, is not writing in his normal flowing style…he is rapid fire, shooting out concise descriptions of what should be and should not be true for leaders.
This is our clue that this list is representative not exhaustive.
Paul is giving key points of reference not a full job description.
By the way, the reason there is so much variance among different churches in their polity:
(The technical word for church organization and leadership structures) is because I believe that Scripture leaves room for these variances.
There must be key points that are non-negotiable, but there is room in Scripture for some variances in how churches are staffed and organized.
Seattle runs the Kubiak system offense.
New England runs the Erhardt-Perkins offense.
What does this mean? It means they can run, or pass, or kick…and they have four downs to make a first down…these rules apply from peewee football to NFL
But it also means that they will have some differences in how they do those things based on their own personal.
This is similar, I think…to biblical church polity…the way we are organized here, is because we think it is the closest thing to the Biblical model…others may disagree…but what there should be no disagreement on is the character and competencies required of a leader.
What Paul gives is a sampling of character and competency traits…the leader must not be less than these, but he will certainly be more than these things.
2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
- Above reproach: Stellar character
-This doesn’t mean without a past, it does mean a current track record of holiness.
- If married, that marriage relationship will be one of total faithfulness to the marriage covenant.
-If the marriage doesn’t resemble Christ and his bride…the church, how can you lead the church?
*Not perfection in marriage…but is must be a clear picture of Christ and his church.
- Temperate: Not related to alcohol abuse, that is later, here it means “sober minded”
-This is about what is called “deportment”…how do you carry yourself.
-Not a clown…if you joyful, fun…that’s fine…but you must be someone who takes life and ministry and people seriously.
-People will laugh at a clown but they won’t follow one…it’s great if you have a good sense of humor…but if you aspire to be a leader, take off the clown suit…watch your deportment.
- Self-controlled: This is the ability to lead yourself.
How can you lead others if you are not in command of your own body and mind.
If passions and emotions lead you, you are not qualified to lead others.
-You don’t have to be physically fit to be a leader, you do have to be physically faithful…
God doesn’t care if you are fit…he does care if you are faithful with what he has given you…that you are self-controlled.
- Respectable: Again, the leader’s life isn’t going to be perfect, but it should be worthy of imitation.
-Paul wrote, “follow me as I follow Christ.”
The leader should be able to say that with Paul…it is not arrogant, it is a leader’s aspirational goal.
- Hospitable: Showing hospitability to others, and especially to believers (Gal. 6:10) this is essential to spiritual leadership…because it lets people into your life.
-My pastor growing up told me that he had been told, as a young pastor, that he cannot have friends in his church because it would create Jealousy…as an older man he deeply regretted taking this foolish advice.
-He had worked to create a kind of wall around his personal and family life that kept people at a distance.
-Of course I can’t be close with everyone, but I must be close with someone…I am pastor to all, and close friends with some.
Both of these facts require a level of intentional hospitality…letting people into our lives.
-Sometimes pastors are slow to invite others into their homes and lives for another reason…they are afraid that people will be able to see them in their real life…and if they lose the “pastor mystic” they will lose respect.
-There is pressure to keep up an image, Paul wants pastors and leaders to die to image management…be hospitable…let people into your life.
- Able to teach: The great commandment is to “teach them to obey” and this came from history’s greatest teacher.
-Clearly a movement founded by the great teacher, Jesus…would have teaching as a foundational ability for its key leaders.
We will discuss this when we get there but while every elder has to be able to teach not all be needed or equally gifted to preach and teach the gathered congregation.
The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 1 Tim. 5:17
It is all of their work to direct the affairs of the church…but not to preach and teach.
Those are the seven “must haves”, again a representative not an exhaustive list…he then gives four “must not haves”
- Not given to drunkenness.
-Scripture does not prohibit drinking alcohol, it definitely prohibits becoming drunk.
-Eph. 5:18 “Don’t be drunk with wine, it leads to ruin…instead be filled with the Spirit.”
The contrast is between giving control of your mind and body to alcohol, verses giving control to the Spirit.
One leads to ruin, the other leads to increasing Christlikeness in life and ministry.
Self-control and Holy Spirit control are requisites for spiritual leadership.
*I have known pastors who were taken out of ministry by lack of self-control with alcohol.
- Not violent but gentle.
-Gentle is not passive, it is not certain personality type…it means “controlled strength.”
-It is a choice here…and a result of training over time.
-Neither Paul, nor Jesus were weak and merely went along to get along.
*This gentleness vs violent means self-control revealed in measured actions towards others.
*Stand by, slow down…don’t jump to conclusions, don’t be quick tempered…get your finger off the trigger.
*The work of the ministry Paul calls “a good fight” and it requires steel in your spine…but as we talked about a couple of weeks ago…the good fight is fought God’s way, using God’s resources.
Not quarrelsome: Don’t get bogged down in petty controversy, keep the main thing the main thing…we talked about this recently.
-There is a time to go negative, but for the most part…we must be known for what we are for not for all that we are against.
-By and large, if we are against something…it is because we are “for” something better…why not lean that way?
If you are quick to quarrel…angry, grumpy…stop it…”start stopping it” …it is training not destiny.
And it’s annoying and not helpful and not God honoring.
*”Terry, I don’t want to be a pastor/elder…so I’m okay to be quarrelsome.”
Don’t you imagine that if this is who God wants those leading the church to be…that it stands to reason that this is who he wants all his people to be?
I mean that is precisely what leaders do…they lead people somewhere.
These things that are required of Christian leaders, should be desired by all Christ followers.
- Not a lover of money: Later in this letter Paul will give a dire warning along this line.
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
1 Tim. 6:10
That’s his representative list…then…
In verses 4, 5…Paul then gives the principle of single story living as a requirement for spiritual leadership.
He must be the same level of Christlike character everywhere…especially where it is most difficult…at home.
4 He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. 5 (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)
*This has been misapplied by men to become mean, hard-headed tyrants…demanding respect from their kids..
Do you hear the fallacy in that?: “Demand respect”
That’s like “force them to love you”
Paul writes elsewhere that fathers must not exasperate their children but bring them up in the training and instruction in the Lord.
Exasperation happens when fathers are unreasonable, mean, inconsistent…they live two story lives.
Practice what you preach…preach love and sacrifice and joy filled faith…that kind of life will not exasperate anyone…except the enemy.
This passage also doesn’t mean that if a grown child goes astray, the parent is disqualified from ministry…that scenario is actually fairly common.
For one thing…we cannot measure the final outcome for these grown children based on what is happening right now…TWT for these prodigals…time will tell what they do, what God does.
The principle in play is this: “Are they godly, proactive, parents? No? Then how in world will they be good spiritual leaders of others? Yes? Well then, on this front, they qualify.”
Now, in verse 6, the TWT principle in leadership selection…time will tell.
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.
The devil’s downfall was his pride.
Putting a new believer into leadership positions is bad for the church and for the new Christian.
You elevate an immature believer too soon and they are cannon fodder for the enemy…he will eat them alive.
You do not want to feed the natural, sinful pride in young Christians…it makes them prey…food for the devil.
Give them time to grow…and give God time to show them how stupid pride is.
Too often when people bring natural abilities and learned capabilities or even worse…celebrity status into their new faith in Christ…they are promoted too quickly into leadership.
*”Look we have “somebody cool” who has come to Christ…let’s put them on stage…to show that Jesus is cool.”
No, let’s don’t do that…let’s disciple them off the radar.
When famous persecutor Paul came to Christ…he was trained off the radar for a couple of years.
Elsewhere Paul wrote, “Don’t be too hasty in laying on hands”…it is the same idea…don’t set people apart for ministry leadership until they have time to demonstrate faith and faithfulness over time.
Then, TWT and what time will tell is that have a good reputation outside the church.
7 He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap.
This doesn’t mean that unbelievers won’t say nasty things about you.
If you take a stand for truth…people who disagree with you, will likely dislike you.
This is about personal character…not being a jerk or knucklehead in the wider community.
For example: If you have a business…don’t put a fish icon or a cross on your website…put Christ first in the quality of your work and the integrity of your dealings with customers.
1 Peter 2:20 says, “It’s too your credit if you suffer because of walking with Jesus, but it is not to your credit if you suffer for being a knucklehead…that is on you.” (my translation)
Next, he moves to a different but parallel conversation: Deacons.
He begins with “Deacons…likewise…”
8 Deacons, likewise, are to be men worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain. 9 They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons. 11 In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything. 12 A deacon must be the husband of but one wife and must manage his children and his household well. 13 Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
There is very little in the Bible about the role of deacon.
Deacon is a word that means “servant”
It is often used to describe people serving God and others…but when its used in the sense of a position or official role in the church we only have this passage, we have the mention of a woman named Phoebe in Romans 16:1-2, and a greeting to deacons in Phil 1…that’s it.
In Acts 6 Stephen and six others were appointed to oversee a ministry to widows, but they were not called “deacons”
They do, however, likely demonstrate the nature of this role in the church…they serve…in an organized, not merely organic, or ad hoc manner.
Again, Paul’s list of qualifications for deacons is concise, it demonstrates that they have fewer qualifications, but they are robust non the less.
There has been a debate as to whether women can serve as deacons in the church (not “servants” of course, that is obvious) …but deacons as a recognized role.
In my church growing up the group of men called deacons served as kind of hybrid between elder and deacon…but largely they functioned as elders.
This was and is common and makes the discussion cloudier…so it depends on what you mean when you use the word, “Deacon.”
I said last week I had come to settled decisions on somethings, this is another one of these issues.
I am not saying I am right about everything…but I have decided some things…again, I’ve been doing this a long time, the Scriptures are not changing…and pastors should not be changing their minds on stuff decades into their ministry.
My position is that Women can and do serve in this role in the church.
Romans 16:1,2 is Paul’s glowing affirmation of a woman named Phoebe.
I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a servant (deacon) of the church in Cenchreae. So you should welcome her in the Lord in a manner worthy of the saints and assist her in whatever matter she may require your help. For indeed she has been a benefactor of many—and of me also.
Okay, let’s look at how this works out here at River and then a few general applications for us all, since again…this is required of leaders but should be desired by us all.
- We operate with a senior elder, pastor, that’s me…for now.
-Someday it will be someone else…I will join you in following that pastor.
-In Scripture there is clear evidence of a single leader of leaders…accountable to the church, but ultimately accountable to the chief shepherd.
Paul, Timothy, Peter, and in the OT, Abraham, Moses, David, etc.
-In the world outside the church, this is how human organizations work best.
-Teams are important, but even teams have designated, or de facto leaders.
-Mark Hankes assumed command of an AF squadron recently.
At every change of command ceremony…there is a clear marking of command passing from one leader to another.
-There is never a time when two are in command of a single unit and never a time when no one is in command.
Now Mark, because of both wisdom and necessity…will lead in collaboration with his team…but he will lead.
*The military has figured out through hundreds of years of experience, what God has built into the fabric of human experience.
Leaders lead, leadership will happen…make sure it happens well.
- We have multiple elders that I am the team lead over.
-We have staff elders whose full-time work is to oversee, pastor…to do the day-to-day work of the church…we live out the larger strategic vision in the day to tactics of ministry.
There are of course, women on staff…they are not elders…but do they lead in their areas of expertise and responsibility.
-We have lay elders who have full time jobs, but who provide accountability and assistance for the bigger picture strategic direction of the church.
-I lead them, but I am accountable to you, through them.
-I lead the church; I answer to the church through these men who represent the church
-There are more who would qualify for this role than is needed or would be effective to function well.
-The requirements of being an elder are those of a member, plus those of a group leader, plus those of an elder…increasing privilege means increasing responsibility.
- In our church polity (remember that word) our group leaders function as our deacons.
-There is the need practically speaking for many more deacons (to serve) than elders (to oversee)
-There are some things we are not as good at as I would like us to be (evangelism…but we are going to give attention to that)…this is an area we are pretty good at.
Our leaders, you…are great at providing front line to care to the church…including leading groups, doing member care, and setting the pace in a personal walk with Jesus.
Let’s finish with some aspirational vision for us all
Again, all this is required of leaders in Christ’s church…it makes sense that it would be God’s desire for all of his people.
- Lead yourself (self-control), then seek to earn leadership (influence) in the lives of others
*I said last week, this is where the real action is…walk with Jesus, walk with others so they will walk with Jesus.
*I like leading the church…preaching, organizing, leading staff…all of that.
But I love…love…making Christ known in evangelism and discipleship…we all share this great privilege and responsibility.
I will say again…as Pastor…I pump the gas.
As the church…you get to go fly the jets…you live on mission.
- Balance privilege/responsibility in your life.
We tend to hate tension…it feels like something is wrong…but we will either have tension, or we will have imbalance in our lives.
We need to hold important things in tension…tension is our friend, imbalance is not.
A key balance in Scripture is holding privilege and responsibility in tension.
Leadership means increased privilege, you get to lead…leadership means increased responsibility, you must lead sacrificially.
Sometimes people want the privilege without taking the corresponding responsibility.
If you feel like you are not recognized for your leadership capabilities that has nothing to do with your leadership opportunities.
There is formal appointed leadership (You are made an officer in the military, or a group leader in your small group, boss at work)
Then there is recognized leadership…the people in your unit want to follow you, the people in your group are eager to follow you.
This is where you just pour your life into the lives of others…for no other reason than the glory of God, the good of others…and when you do this…it will be for your own great joy.
One last thing…
Leaders are the immune system of any culture, family, business, church
If the way leaders are selected, trained and retained is not fully biblical…then people will make their way into leadership who are not biblically qualified…this is bad.
This means that the church has “spiritual AIDs”…it has immune deficiency…it is susceptible to all kinds of virus that will make it sick or kill its mission.
People with bad doctrine or bad character often both…will be able to hijack the church and lead it towards their own, not God’s purposes.
This is why Paul spends so much time addressing the selection of leaders…their character and competencies.
It is why it is and always must be a priority for us.
We will not do this perfectly…but we will do this intentionally.
When we get off track on this…we will, by God’s grace…get quickly back on track.