How to choose a man God uses! – 1 Timothy 3:1-7
How to choose a man God uses! – 1 Timothy 3:1-7
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 2, 2020
What kind of pastor should a church chose? How is he supposed to act, what should his faith be like, and how should his faith be expressed? Some churches have to accept whoever is decided on by their denomination’s governing authority, some allow a select group to decide for them, while congregational churches like ours has the congregation prayerfully consider one candidate at a time to see if God is choosing one them.
Paul wrote timothy his friend and disciple how he should as a young church leader help churches to decide who should be their pastor. Paul gives us good advice on how to chose a man God uses…
READ: 1 Timothy 3:1-7
Jesus told his followers: “I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27 NIV)” Therefore…
I. We are to choose a man who lives differently than the world! (Vv. 1-3)
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
1. The term overseer (episkopos), sometimes translated “bishop,” is only one of several words used in the New Testament to describe pastors. “Elders” (presbyteroi) is by far the most common. Other terms such as “rulers” (Romans 12:8; 1Thessalonians 5:12), “leaders” (Hebrews 13:17) and “pastors” (Ephesians 4:11; also Acts 20:28; 1Peter 5:2) are also used and all mean the same thing: pastor. So Paul writes his friend and disciple that “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer” that is as a pastor “he desires a noble task.” Timothy was evidently being considered and there were others who may have been as well. The early church was beginning to grow and from this time until the next six centuries Christianity would become the predominant religion in the known world! Being called as a pastor is a “noble” task because it is a calling by God himself to be a leader within his church, his body in the world! Being part of his body the church is sacred thing and is why Paul would write: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! (1 Corinthians 6:15 NIV)” As Jesus would teach: “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23 NIV), and “we are members of his body” (Ephesians 5:30 NIV) and are to become part of his body the church. Therefore “the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” The wording here means that the man must at the time of being considered be the kind of man who reflects Jesus Christ in every area of his life! These traits fly in the face of a world that endorses and often excuses excessive ungodly behavior! We are to choose a man who lives differently than the world!
EXAMPLE: It took a man like Washington to lead a new found Nation. It took a man like Lincoln to keep and unite a divided Nation. It took a man like Paul to introduce Jesus to a pagan world and develop his church body. These men were great because they did not act like the world around them. As a body of Christ we are to choose a man who lives differently than the world!
There are ungodly and unholy notions that are being framed as “just”, “diverse”, and acceptable simply because the world thinks so. Lest we forget, the world is inherently evil at its core and anything that is contrary to its perversion is dismissed, attacked, and redefined. Therefore as God’s church…
II. We are to choose a man who is a “family” man! (Vv. 4-5)
He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)
1. Paul holds nothing back from Timothy because I believe Paul understood human nature at its core. When you begin to have an organization like the church, whether you like it or not, with human beings being involved you will get those who desire to be leaders under false pretenses. Our sinful nature can creep in. In the pagan world of his day Paul knew that the greatest strength of God is found in the family God had established from the very beginning. This is why the ungodly world today is attacking the ideal of family in every way possible! The ungodly world tells you that you do not need a husband and a wife, that children do not need a father figure, that men and women are exactly the same in every way or that you can be a man or a woman even if you were not born that way when in fact all of these things are patently false! The man God chooses and therefore the man the church chooses to be its spiritual leader “must manage his own family well”. Managing a family in the world today is not an easy task. It takes time, effort, and a willingness to be involved. The godly man makes sure he is a living example of what it means to be a godly father figure whether he is married or not. However, if he does have children he “must manage his own family well” by making sure “his children obey him with proper respect”. Proper respect is not demanded, it is earned through hard work. Godly fathers are to exhibit “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” as found in Galatians 5:22-23. So are we to consider only married men as a pastor? It is preferable but even a single man should display the characteristics of a godly father who can relate to all ages. Why is this so important? Because “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?” We are to choose a man who is a “family” man!
EXAMPLE: Family is important to God. From the establishment of one man and one woman being the ideal for marriage, to children respecting and obeying their parents which are foundational for the Lord. God created male and female who are to inhabit, subdue, and be good stewards of the world he created. He came into a family as a baby, died on a cross, rose from the dead, and ascended back into heaven leaving his church, his body, in the world to do his work and will! There is a reason why he calls it his “bride” and that we become his “children”. The physical family displays the truth of Scripture itself to an ungodly world. Therefore, we are to choose a man who is a “family” man!
Just as babies are not fully capable of taking care of themselves the immature believer is not capable of leading a church. God gave some to be pastors “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may… mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” and not be spiritual “infants” tossed around “by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:11-14 NIV). Paul teaches Timothy that…
III. We are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ! (Vv. 6-7)
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
1. It is always interesting to me when someone comes to Christ that if they are willing to read, to listen, and to study their new found faith how they develop. Many of us who were originally called were “once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8 NIV)!” We are to be “imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children” and “live a life of [sacrificial] love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV)! In fact we are to “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:11 NIV)” The man we choose to be our pastor “must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.” Over the years I have watched as churches chose a man who did not educate or mature himself in his theology only to have him lead the church astray or fall into personal sin because of their spiritual immaturity. There is a reason why seminary is important in our day and age for the man who leads a church. It exposes him to a higher degree of theological education whereby he is impacted and challenged by other spiritually knowledgeable men. But just being spiritually educated is not enough; Paul writes Timothy that the man should “have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap”. A believer can become so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. There are those who have gone on to get their doctorate in theology, philosophy, psychology, or other degrees in seminaries only to become entrapped in their own high tower of learning. We find these kinds of men often in what we would call “high church” where the office of pastor has become a mantle rather than a calling of God. Paul warns Timothy that we are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ!
EXAMPLE: The writer of Hebrews was trying to introduce to his readers some deeper spiritual truths that they were often incapable of understanding. This is why he wrote: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14 NIV)” We are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ!
Conclusion:
We are to choose a man who lives differently than the world! We are to choose a man who is a “family” man! We are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
February 2, 2020
What kind of pastor should a church chose? How is he supposed to act, what should his faith be like, and how should his faith be expressed? Some churches have to accept whoever is decided on by their denomination’s governing authority, some allow a select group to decide for them, while congregational churches like ours has the congregation prayerfully consider one candidate at a time to see if God is choosing one them.
Paul wrote timothy his friend and disciple how he should as a young church leader help churches to decide who should be their pastor. Paul gives us good advice on how to chose a man God uses…
READ: 1 Timothy 3:1-7
Jesus told his followers: “I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. (John 14:27 NIV)” Therefore…
I. We are to choose a man who lives differently than the world! (Vv. 1-3)
Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task. Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
1. The term overseer (episkopos), sometimes translated “bishop,” is only one of several words used in the New Testament to describe pastors. “Elders” (presbyteroi) is by far the most common. Other terms such as “rulers” (Romans 12:8; 1Thessalonians 5:12), “leaders” (Hebrews 13:17) and “pastors” (Ephesians 4:11; also Acts 20:28; 1Peter 5:2) are also used and all mean the same thing: pastor. So Paul writes his friend and disciple that “Here is a trustworthy saying: If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer” that is as a pastor “he desires a noble task.” Timothy was evidently being considered and there were others who may have been as well. The early church was beginning to grow and from this time until the next six centuries Christianity would become the predominant religion in the known world! Being called as a pastor is a “noble” task because it is a calling by God himself to be a leader within his church, his body in the world! Being part of his body the church is sacred thing and is why Paul would write: “Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! (1 Corinthians 6:15 NIV)” As Jesus would teach: “I in them and you in me. May they be brought to complete unity to let the world know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me” (John 17:23 NIV), and “we are members of his body” (Ephesians 5:30 NIV) and are to become part of his body the church. Therefore “the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.” The wording here means that the man must at the time of being considered be the kind of man who reflects Jesus Christ in every area of his life! These traits fly in the face of a world that endorses and often excuses excessive ungodly behavior! We are to choose a man who lives differently than the world!
EXAMPLE: It took a man like Washington to lead a new found Nation. It took a man like Lincoln to keep and unite a divided Nation. It took a man like Paul to introduce Jesus to a pagan world and develop his church body. These men were great because they did not act like the world around them. As a body of Christ we are to choose a man who lives differently than the world!
There are ungodly and unholy notions that are being framed as “just”, “diverse”, and acceptable simply because the world thinks so. Lest we forget, the world is inherently evil at its core and anything that is contrary to its perversion is dismissed, attacked, and redefined. Therefore as God’s church…
II. We are to choose a man who is a “family” man! (Vv. 4-5)
He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?)
1. Paul holds nothing back from Timothy because I believe Paul understood human nature at its core. When you begin to have an organization like the church, whether you like it or not, with human beings being involved you will get those who desire to be leaders under false pretenses. Our sinful nature can creep in. In the pagan world of his day Paul knew that the greatest strength of God is found in the family God had established from the very beginning. This is why the ungodly world today is attacking the ideal of family in every way possible! The ungodly world tells you that you do not need a husband and a wife, that children do not need a father figure, that men and women are exactly the same in every way or that you can be a man or a woman even if you were not born that way when in fact all of these things are patently false! The man God chooses and therefore the man the church chooses to be its spiritual leader “must manage his own family well”. Managing a family in the world today is not an easy task. It takes time, effort, and a willingness to be involved. The godly man makes sure he is a living example of what it means to be a godly father figure whether he is married or not. However, if he does have children he “must manage his own family well” by making sure “his children obey him with proper respect”. Proper respect is not demanded, it is earned through hard work. Godly fathers are to exhibit “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” as found in Galatians 5:22-23. So are we to consider only married men as a pastor? It is preferable but even a single man should display the characteristics of a godly father who can relate to all ages. Why is this so important? Because “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's church?” We are to choose a man who is a “family” man!
EXAMPLE: Family is important to God. From the establishment of one man and one woman being the ideal for marriage, to children respecting and obeying their parents which are foundational for the Lord. God created male and female who are to inhabit, subdue, and be good stewards of the world he created. He came into a family as a baby, died on a cross, rose from the dead, and ascended back into heaven leaving his church, his body, in the world to do his work and will! There is a reason why he calls it his “bride” and that we become his “children”. The physical family displays the truth of Scripture itself to an ungodly world. Therefore, we are to choose a man who is a “family” man!
Just as babies are not fully capable of taking care of themselves the immature believer is not capable of leading a church. God gave some to be pastors “to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may… mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ” and not be spiritual “infants” tossed around “by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming” (Ephesians 4:11-14 NIV). Paul teaches Timothy that…
III. We are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ! (Vv. 6-7)
He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap.
1. It is always interesting to me when someone comes to Christ that if they are willing to read, to listen, and to study their new found faith how they develop. Many of us who were originally called were “once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light (Ephesians 5:8 NIV)!” We are to be “imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children” and “live a life of [sacrificial] love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Ephesians 5:1-2 NIV)! In fact we are to “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. (Ephesians 5:11 NIV)” The man we choose to be our pastor “must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil.” Over the years I have watched as churches chose a man who did not educate or mature himself in his theology only to have him lead the church astray or fall into personal sin because of their spiritual immaturity. There is a reason why seminary is important in our day and age for the man who leads a church. It exposes him to a higher degree of theological education whereby he is impacted and challenged by other spiritually knowledgeable men. But just being spiritually educated is not enough; Paul writes Timothy that the man should “have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil's trap”. A believer can become so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good. There are those who have gone on to get their doctorate in theology, philosophy, psychology, or other degrees in seminaries only to become entrapped in their own high tower of learning. We find these kinds of men often in what we would call “high church” where the office of pastor has become a mantle rather than a calling of God. Paul warns Timothy that we are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ!
EXAMPLE: The writer of Hebrews was trying to introduce to his readers some deeper spiritual truths that they were often incapable of understanding. This is why he wrote: “We have much to say about this, but it is hard to explain because you are slow to learn. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God's word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. (Hebrews 5:11-14 NIV)” We are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ!
Conclusion:
We are to choose a man who lives differently than the world! We are to choose a man who is a “family” man! We are to choose a man who is maturing man in Christ!
---
This article is copyrighted © 2020 by Lee Hemen and is the sole property of Lee Hemen, and may not be used unless you quote the entire article and have my permission.
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