Biblical Leadership

Father in heaven, and we just praise you this morning for your goodness your kindness toward us father as we gather together to look At what you've given us to teach us about your church. I just pray that you'd bless us that you'd strengthen us that you would undergird Bethlehem Bible Church with a greater love for the work that you are Performing among your people father bless our time this morning in Christ's name.

Amen. Well, you know, I I've mentioned before that when you're a police officer you hear I don't know if you've ever heard of this. But you hear about these dreams, you know where the cop is Dreaming and he takes out his gun.

He fires only either the gun jams or the bullet comes out and it just drops. You know things like nightmares you have like that. Well, and I've mentioned Maybe there are pastoral nightmares. Well last night. I actually had one.

I don't come in and tell you about my dreams, but this morning I'm gonna tell you about my dreams. I feel slightly neurotic telling you about my dreams. But here we go. So I dream last night and Janet and I are somewhere I don't know where we are, but I take an elevator up to the ninth floor and I don't know why the ninth floor.

I Have no idea what that means probably nothing. But anyway, we're going for the ninth floor and it stops and it's rickety and I have to climb out of the elevator. And so I'm telling people about the elevator and the problems with it and I decided to demonstrate by getting back in the elevator.

I Really have no idea. And so I I'm in the elevator and all of a sudden I realize it's stuck again naturally. And I'm late for teaching Sunday school. I'm looking at my watch going. I am seven minutes late.

So disturbed I know I don't know what that meant, but see you can still have dreams and nightmares when you're just teaching Sunday school stressed out. Waking up on a cold sweat because I'm stuck in the elevator.

I Have to go teach. But I digress. Okay. So we've been talking about the nine elements of a biblical church the things that you ought to be looking for in a church. We talked last last few weeks about Discipleship and now we're going to talk about biblical church leadership.

Qualified Leadership for a Biblical Church

What invites you to open your Bibles to 1st Timothy chapter 3. We're going to talk about qualified leadership. 1st Timothy chapter 3 now 1st 2nd Timothy and Titus those are known as the Pastoral epistles.

Why. Trying to figure out what I do with my water bottle. All right. I don't know what I did with it. Doesn't matter it just means I don't get to cheat and drink any water so They're called the pastoral epistles because Paul wrote them.

Well, there you go. I I knew it was around here somewhere Paul wrote them. To Timothy and to Titus to tell them how to be pastors tell them how to run churches. And you know some of the elements like I read 2nd Timothy chapter 4 today some of the things he talks about there.

They need to preach the word there they need to be on the lookout. It's interesting because even at 1st Timothy chapter 1 he's talking about people who've strayed from the truth. Teachers who are not doing the right thing so it's a matter of standing for.

Sound doctrines will see in Titus 1 and then standing against false doctrine. It's a matter of clearing out the church of doing all these things. First Timothy chapter 3 talks about who the leaders of a church should be.

I'm gonna read verses 1 to 10. The saying is trustworthy if anyone aspires to the office of overseer he desires a noble task. 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. Uncontentious free from the love of money. He must be one who manages his own household. Well keeping his children under control with all dignity.

But if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the Church of God and Not a new convert. Lest he become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil and he must have a good reputation with those Outside the church so that he may not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.

Deacons likewise must be men of dignity. Not double-tongued or addicted to much wine or fond of sordid gain but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience and Let these also first be tested and let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.

So Paul in writing to Timothy kind of sets the bar high and there's a reason for that. The reason is You have a noble task. You need what? Noble men men of some character. I I found this and I thought this was great.

This is by a Puritan his name Samuel Davies. And we'll walk through this a little bit. Talking about Verse 1 here the word here does that render desire if he desires and no noble task is strong very strong and emphatic and signifies to catch at to reach after to be carried away with eager desires and this naturally leads me to say something of those inward struggles and perplexities those eager desires and agonies of zeal which honest souls generally feel before they enter into the ministry and By which it pleases God to qualify them for it.

Now just to stop for a second and get back to the scripture. Is it a good thing if you desire to be in ministry or desire to be an elder? Yes. It's always a good thing. Doesn't necessarily mean that you're supposed to be in ministry though now moving on back to what Davies said I Have now nothing to do with those unhappy creatures who desire and catch desire.

They're reaching and catch at the sacred office as a post listen of honor. Profit or ease. Honor honor profit or ease in other words to be what esteemed in the community. To make money to fly in jets.

You know personal jets be driven around and chauffeured and treated like royalty. But look at the third one or ease. We would know better here, but I just remember. How many of you have ever seen the movie?

I don't often refer to movies because that can be dangerous but this movie is Fairly sensible because it's called sense and sensibility. If you've seen that movie The the the good guy in the movie basically wants to be in the ministry.

Why. Because it's a it's a Basically seen as a position of ease and some respectability and some amount of money and That's just wrong. I mean he never professes. We never see him in the movie professing a love for the Lord any love for his word.

Any ability to teach. In fact he rather stammers and through the entire movie, I don't know how that would work exactly. And he's not much of a communicator, but I bring that about just the idea that this would be an Easy life, that's that's it's wrong and he says Davey says I have now nothing to do with those unhappy creatures who want this job and think it's gonna be easy and Finally he says this or this love this last thing that he has no use for.

Or as the last shift for a livelihood when other expedients have failed. They've tried their hand at business that didn't work out. They tried farming that didn't work out. They tried whatever that didn't work out.

So now they're gonna be pastors. Yeah, I can't do anything else well might as well be a pastor and he says such deserve to be exposed in Severer terms than I am disposed to used and this was in a sermon.

Actually installing somebody into the ministry. And I cannot but tremble to think what account they will be able to give to the great bishop of souls and judge of the universe the Lord Jesus himself. But as to those honest souls who engage in it with proper motives and views they are generally determined to it with reluctance and after many hard conflicts.

Do you think that? Well, let's just put it another way. At Grace Community Church, which is where I came from you would receive a now. This is this is how big and kind of impersonal it is. You get a letter in the mail saying Dear Steve, these are the requirements or the biblical requirements for being a deacon.

You know if you think this is you. You know, please sign this form and send it back. I'm not making that up. Okay, and then you know a. Now, what do you think goes through your head if somebody sends you a letter like that?

Or they ask you to be a deacon or an elder. What do you suppose your first response is? What's that I've arrived. I didn't have that response. Brian. Brian answering for me says they don't they don't know me very well.

I'll tell you what. I got I read this letter and I was just like me. Really and then it just it goes on. I I sort of left some of the things out because it talks about you know. We don't do this. Based on anything other than we see, you know what you're doing at the church.

So, you know, I was involved in Fundamentals of the faith and other things, you know teaching and they're just like, you know. You you qualify as a deacon and then what they do also very personal is they print a list of all these people?

I mean, you know. You kind of feel like wow I'm a deacon at Grace Community Church. And then you see there is page after page after page of these printouts, you know of deacon candidates and if you know any of them, and you don't think they're qualified then you're supposed to go to them and that kind of thing, but.

But yeah your first response I think rightly is Me even if you have that desire. I remember when somebody said This is on a Sunday morning at Grace Community Church and my wife and I and a man who is now in the ministry he serves as a US Naval chaplain his wife and him and my wife and me we gave our testimonies one Sunday morning in Sunday school and the guy gets up to lead worship because Sunday school really isn't like Sunday school here.

If it was we would have you know a little praise band too because it's like a full church service. And the guy gets up to lead worship and he says, you know, don't you think it'd be great if Steve was in seminary?

But it all worked out so I I think maybe that is the first thing but now let's go back to Davies and listen to what he says. He says but as to those honest souls who engage with proper motives and views.

They're generally determined to do it with reluctance and after many hard conflicts. Some of them have had the advantage of an early education with a view to some other Employment like for example, they were trained.

I knew a man who was an engineer had a master's degree and then got the call of the ministry and You know, what a blessing to have that kind of rigorous education before he went into ministry he says but when it pleases God to rouse them out of their security and Bring them under the strong but agreeable constraints of the love of Christ when their eyes are open to the see the dangerous situation of a slumbering world around them and Their hearts are fired with a loving zeal for the honor of God and Jesus Christ and the salvation of their perishing fellow sinners.

Then they begin to look about and inquire in what way they are most likely to promote these important interests. In other words, they have a burden for the souls of others and They think what can I do?

That's when they are called into it and what he calls this humble and despised office. You know, it really is amazing. You know for you probably here this morning. You probably don't think that elders or pastors are subject to maybe you do are subject to much criticism.

But I'll tell you I used to think that maybe Pastors were held in higher esteem than police officers. I'm not so sure of that anymore. I've seen some of the emails, you know from people. Like for the no compromise radio show Mike Mike got one this week and it was from somebody who I Don't think ever listened to the show but saw that Mike was talking to Mike Gendron from Texas about Catholic ministries.

And so wrote and just to blast him for even having this guy on the radio show I don't think he even listened but you know, this is just a Catholic who just wanted to Take a shot. This humble and despised office.

I I think it often is now for us, you know for the kind of the insiders I mean, I would never think of it that way. I would never think about my Pastors at Grace Community Church or the elders there and thinking I don't like those guys.

You love them because they care about you, but it really is a Sense of calling and you know what? Here's the thing too. What do you suppose happens if you don't have that? Kind of I'll call it subjective call where you just really feel compelled to be a ministry.

What do you suppose happens to somebody who doesn't have that? Burnout and how long do you think it probably takes? I Wouldn't think it'd take long at all. Not very long at all because if you don't have this compulsion.

To be in ministry when the slings and arrows come here. It's like who needs this now. If we're to have men of character. Men of I call it nobility. It doesn't mean they have great bloodlines. It just means, you know, there's certain characteristics.

They like to or they need to have they're required biblical to have. It's important that they be the right men. Listen what MacArthur says. He says it goes without saying and this just flows again from discipleship all these things flow together the nine elements nine Nine marks of a biblical church.

They all flow together. You can't just remove one or another whether it's Expositional preaching whatever you take one out and the whole church the whole process starts to weaken and decay. But listen what he says about elders the importance of biblical Biblically qualified elders it goes without saying that whoever leads the church will Will determine what the church becomes in large measure?

The life of the church the ministry of the church the testimony of the church the impact of the church the reputation of the church the character of the church the Emphasis of the church all of that is dependent on the leadership of the church.

Seems pretty strong. But again, you know, I just think if you if you look at Bethlehem Bible Church, what do you see? I think you see this week on Facebook where you get most of your important Theology people were liking.

By the way, if you didn't know Bethlehem Bible Church does have a Facebook page which where you can like us. That's fine. But people were people were liking a status on Bethlehem Bible Church's Page that said have you ever taken an IBS class?

Why do we have an IBS class? Why do we have IBS classes? I guess is better or an IBS program. It's because the of the importance that Pastor Mike has put on what teaching so it is true, right that The character of The pastors the elders has an impact on the church.

Determines the direction of it. I mean if all we do is Focus on music then we're gonna see a lot of we this would be a vastly different church. Says you can look at a church and you can determine by the nature of its ministry the kind of leadership it has.

Church leadership is an essential element of New Testament teaching. Listen, Hosea said like people like priests. What do you think the point of that is like people like priests? The people at a church are.

They imitate what they see. They're a reflection of those who teach them. MacArthur goes on to say that's a proverbial way of expressing the close link between the moral character of the pastor or pastors and the moral character of a person or people the people in the church.

Jesus put it this way in Luke's gospel. When a man is fully discipled, he will be like his teacher. You become like the one who teaches you. I've sort of mentioned this before but If you think about the people who most impacted you other than your parents.

Did you think I mean I think of a man like my high school? Journalism professor our teacher. Mr. Bachman, and I thought I want to be like him. So, what did I do then I started Patterning certain things in my life towards the things the way that he did then the way he thought about them.

He was in a very real sense my disciple or my teacher and that's just the nature of things, right? You know like when I said I went seminary because I wanted to be like Mike what I really meant. I mean, I didn't mean I wanted to be like Mike.

I wanted to learn more about the Bible and and I wanted to be equipped for ministry. But I wanted to just have the kind of resources that he had the mental resources. I'll never be as smart as him, but that's not the point.

I Wanted to be able to do what he did in some sense or another but when Hosea says like people like priests. Really what he's saying is God ministers through whom through the Holy Spirit. Yes but also through Faithful men who preach the word who teach us.

So it's important that the right men be in leadership of a church. When you look at well, you know just as further evidence I brought in that list of things from Saddleback last week, and I think True or false.

I mean if Rick Warren wanted a more Conventional church that church would be more conventional true. But that's not what he wanted. How many of you well, I want to. I won't even ask it that way if you know the history of Saddleback Community Church.

Or for anyone who knows do you know how he started that he graduated from. I think it was Southwestern Seminary and he decided to go to Orange County California now he says it's because it was not a well-churched area and I'm like, well, they did have Chuck Swindoll and.

And of course the Crystal Cathedral. But he started by doing a survey. Let's go out in the highways and byways and proclaim Christ. No, let's go out in the highways and byways and find out why people don't go to church and.

And then we'll play like the kinks in the late 70s and you guys are going. Give the people what they want. That was the name of one of their albums. Give the people what they want. And that's what we're gonna do.

People don't like church. We'll give them a church. They like. We'll give them a church where you know if they want Flashy nightclub ish Vegas like shows we'll give them those if they want short sermons.

We'll give them those if they want things where they can just really they feel like they're not really being convicted or preached at. But they're just being encouraged build up affirmed. We'll give them that give the people what they want.

A Church reflects the leadership it has to what happens when. Let's say let's say John MacArthur went to Saddleback Community Church, they hired him to be the new pastor. What would happen at Saddleback?

What's that? It would get a facelift. There would be a massive change there they might get rid of the latte bar, which would be a shame but I'm not joking about the latte bar. You guys sit there and just watch on TV instead of going actually going in and you know.

Being bothered with all that. It would change. Because the emphasis would change the people would a lot of them would just do what? Leave. We like we like Rick. Yeah, yeah, Jesus said this to his disciples if they hate you.

Basically, what did you expect? They hated me first. You're my disciples. You you know in some sense if people look at you they see what a reflection of me. Because I've imprinted myself on you. So if they hate you, we'll just know that they hate the original even more than they hate you.

So why are you surprised? And so Johnny says well, how do they how do they justify that sort of approach to church when? Jesus would say something different. Jesus never, you know kind of couch things in such a way where you know.

Don't worry about that. You're just fine. Just the way you are. God is rooting for you. He never did things like that. But that's exactly what I heard from the pulpit of Saddleback when I was there. So, how do they justify that?

Well, how do you think they justify it? Steven well, they wouldn't say that, you know, well, you know. We cleared 2 .7 billion last year, how about you? They wouldn't say that what do you Charlie a lot of people come see now that's a lot more.

You know, we're attracting people for Christ. That's a lot better than saying, dude. You can never get away with that. Why do we approach church the way we do will. Frankly, it's the money. Yeah, very well and and I think MacArthur was asked a kind of a similar question you know.

Why is it that he talked about Willow Creek? I have to correct myself because I always call it pillow Creek. Pillow Creek and Saddleback, which I also call paddleback but because they're paddling back from the gospel as fast as they can.

But you know, why did he suppose that those churches were so successful and he said That basically he said Rick Warren and Bill Hybels, he said if those guys were Anglicans, they would have huge churches.

He goes it doesn't matter where you put them. He goes. It's their personalities. They just draw people. They're gregarious people like them. So it's all about the personality and not so much about what they teach or you know What they're trying to do and that's why when he says well, I Upon this rock I will build my church you know he's he's boasting, but he is essentially correct people are Attracted to overweight guys in Hawaiian shirts.

I don't know what the thing is, but There it is. It's just really it's it's. It's it's Christianity. Christianity. Well, I my former pastor called the purpose-driven life. He said it was sub-christian and I'm sure the The newer version which have probably been softened and toned down Is even is even less offensive less of the cross in the book, you know it's interesting and I'm just a little little sidelight here because we are talking about the importance of leadership and I Read maybe I even talked about this but it's worth repeating.

I read the story of a Jewish woman who read the purpose-driven life and then gave it to her Muslim friend. What immediately jumps out about that is that for the fact that a Jewish person could read it?

I've read about Mormons who've read the purpose-driven life and other Religions including I suppose this Muslim woman and they don't get upset with it but the Bible says that the cross is. It's offensive, right?

It's a stumbling block. It's foolishness. But the purpose-driven life, well, it's it's something we can all pattern our lives after and it's something we can all benefit From whatever our religious convictions are.

It's a business book. With some Christian language thrown in that's what it is. How to be successful. You know sub points in Sort of a Christian way, that's the whole purpose of it. But the men in leadership or the women in leadership Shape the church.

That's just the reality of it. And it's interesting and by the way, well, I'm mentioning women in leadership. Let me just say this. There are all kinds of arguments and I did a I did Actually two sermons on the women in ministry because I did an evening service where I took some of the liberal critiques of 1st Timothy chapter 2 and I and I discussed those and kind of dissected them.

But here's the thing 1st Timothy chapter 2 where it talks about men and men need to be in ministry. I would not have a woman to teach why because Eve fell first and this is part of the curse. He roots that.

The the reason that women are not allowed to teach in the fall it's not cultural. It is historical and it's part of the curse goes back to Genesis 3 because of that. Women are not to teach and then what does he do?

He follows that up in 1st Timothy chapter 3 with qualifications of leadership and it's any man and he. You know husband of one wife you don't find, you know, the the spouse of one spouse. It's the husband of one wife.

This is all very specific language. It flows out Of his conviction that women should not teach so the first thing you should know is if you show up at a At a church and the lady gets up to give her sermon that you're in the wrong Church.

Because that church is not going to stand on biblical principles. Okay, well, let's talk a little bit more about how Elders and deacons are to be chosen. What do you suppose are some of the methods that people use?

To choose elders and deacons. Will karma if you're good friends sure because you don't want to have anybody outside of the club being a leadership, right? Did you ever think that maybe it's like, you know Jonah and the guys on the ship, you know, and they cast lots.

It almost seems like Whoever gets the high role gets to be the new deacon or the new elder. What are some other methods that they that are used? Observation, okay that that's not necessarily a bad one, right?

Sure. Sure. Yep voting. I'll stay out of the political. Let me just. Although you did tempt me woman. Voting. Let's make it a pot, you know, let's just take a bunch of nominees and we'll put them on and you know.

Whoever gets the most votes wins. That's you know problematic right from the beginning other ways that they do things or that things are done. Yeah, that's a bad one. Chris sorry. Age age you have you're old if you've been around right?

That would definitely be one. Personality. The good old boy. Okay, they know that they're compliant again part of the inner club. You know, maybe check and make sure they know the double secret handshakes.

Financial status is a big one, you know here and this isn't just in Evangelical circles because I remember just thinking why is it in the Mormon Church like the bishops were? Which would be like the pastor except for they don't have to preach.

But they do know what everybody gives. The bishops were By and large working-class guys, but boy when you got into the state presidency, which is like over multiple congregations. Those guys were all rich.

They own car dealerships and they you know, why was that? I don't know but it just seemed like but that seems like a way to kind of Decide who should be in leadership, right? It's not a good way, but it's a way that things are done.

Yep any other. The Lord told me that's good. That's really good. The Lord told me that so-and-so should be a deacon. Yep. Okay so so people who just have or demonstrate a vast knowledge of The Bible and sometimes maybe they just can't even apply it, but they know a lot of scripture they seem on the outside godly.

You know, which just reminds me again of the hypocrisy that you know that I sort of grew up around where homes Could be a disaster but on Sunday everything was neat and tidy and we all went to Mormon Church and you know dressed in suits and the girls dressed in dresses.

But you know the rest of the week the life could be a wreck but you would still you know grow up in or you know be elevated in the priesthood because of the perception of you mostly the Sunday perception other ways the Elders deacons Peggy.

Well, that would be the right way to choose them yeah, you know those who really love the Lord and care about the souls of The church one of the ways that we by the way in one respect we kind of emulate Grace Community Church is Deacons are not an office.

We don't make deacons based on the guys that we like or Based on the guys that we see as potential elders, you know what I see down the road that guy might be good. So let's make him a deacon now and kind of you know, then he'll be in the in the club.

We look at the people who serve in the church and we go we look at the rest of their life. We go, you know, we think that guy might be a deacon and then we talk to him to discover in other words We don't make deacons.

We discover them we look at the guys who are who are serving in the church, and then we talk to them about their Their convictions their home lives and we go. Yeah that guy's a deacon. There's no two ways about it.

Or an elder same way, you know, we see that they can teach. We see how their home lives are and we go we think that guy's an elder. Let's talk to him. I saw another hand over here. How long they've been a member of church is a way that some people you know, it's it's well I've been around here for 25 years.

I think it's about time. I got some respect. You know deacon Steve's private parking deal here. I Don't want to talk too much about church government, but you know, there are a number of ways that people Govern there's congregational.

There's deacons. There's chaos. There's Elder led there's elder rule. And I'll just say it. I'll say this one time. Well, let me ask you. Why do you think congregationalism is? Popular why is it you know, why is it required that every Massachusetts town have a congregational church?

Why why do you suppose that is? Democracy. Why because it's only fair and if we think about What the the people who came here were fleeing? What was it? It was an authoritarian government and an authoritarian church.

So it's just like we don't want we will not have any man to rule over us now. That's not the biblical model and we're gonna see that kind of Unfold over the weeks to come here. But this idea of one man or one person You know per vote.

I mean think about what that means in a congregational church. What can you have then? Peggy people people voting that aren't even saved. You know in a close vote but two or three percent, you know the campaign signs and everything else and I Don't know what goes on in a congregational church never really been to a vote, but I can just imagine, you know vote for Steve vote for bill vote for Margie, whoever, you know I'll put a Oven in every home.

I don't know what they you know, what the what the thing is. But yeah I mean Campaigning like that and and then the bottom line is if if we vote and we have believers and unbelievers voting. That's no way to go.

And here's here's the key question. I would ask anyone who wants Congregational voting where does it talk about that? Where would we see a congregational vote and it seemed good to the congregation to call?

So-and-so to the pastorate and it was by acclamation of the congregation and It was 97 to 2 that we would vote for so-and-so to be pastor. Let me just any other comments. We'll go through more of the qualifications for elders and whatnot how we pick them out and stuff like that.

But let me just read this Titus 1 let's turn their Titus 1 and listen. I'm gonna try to emphasize certain things while I'm reading this. We'll see. We'll let you be the judge. We'll take a vote afterwards.

See how I do. Paul writes to Titus this young man. Keep in mind the purpose of this letter to set up a church. And he says this is why I left you in Crete. So that you might put what remained in order.

He's not talking about, you know a place that had been hit by Rockets. He's talking about a church. And he says that so that you might put or so that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in every town.

Titus appoint elders. Not Titus go to the congregation see if you can get some elders elected as I directed you and then if anyone is above reproach the husband of one wife and his children are Believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.

For an overseer as God's steward must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain. But hospitable a lover of good self-controlled upright holy and disciplined.

Alyssa verse 9 and Again this just ties back to what we're talking about with Rick Warren and all these other folks. Listen to this. He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and Also to rebuke those who contradict it.

Now we're gonna develop all these concepts more but I just want to emphasize that look at that. Look at this is why I left you back there to appoint elders. This is the means by which the church will be led will be taught will be ruled.

It's God's appointed means and we'll talk more about this next week. Let's pray Father we just thank you for your word. We thank you that you've not left us guessing as To how a church ought to be run.

We thank you that you've given us the answers. That you've given us a blueprint as it were on how you are going to build the church you do it through Man through men called through men qualified through men skilled.

Through men gifted by your Holy Spirit. Lord, would you bless Bethlehem Bible Church with? More men who are gifted like this father. I pray for the churches around us. I Pray for even for a saddleback Lord that you would raise up godly men there that would take Over in due time and that would lead that church in a god-honoring way.

Father so many churches follow after that seeking what is pragmatic what works what packs them in. Father would you give us even more men who are willing to buck the tide who are willing to say thus saith the Lord.

Would you bless us here Bethlehem Bible Church. Give us unity give us strength of conviction. Give us a greater love for your word and for the means that you've given us to equip the Saints. To do the work of the ministry and to edify one another we pray in Christ's name.

Amen.