FOLLOW THE LEADERS

1
FOLLOW THE LEADERS

• Be Faithful
• 1 Timothy 3
• By Warren W. Wiersbe

2

• Everything uses or falls with leadership, whether
  it be a family or a local church
• Leadership is a part of a spiritual organization
• Pastors (31-7)
• Bishop, pastor, and elder are synonymous
• Bishop means overseer
• Elder has the responsibility of overseeing the
  work of the church (Acts 2017, 28 1 Peter
  51-3)
• Translation of Greek word presbutes meaning an
  old man
• Presbytery in I Tim. 414 refers to the eldership
  of the assembly that ordained Timothy, not to
  denomination

3

• Elders and bishops (Titus 15,7) were mature
  people with spiritual wisdom and experience
• Pastor means shepherd, one who leads and cares
  for the flock of God
• Plurality of elders some involved in
  administration and others in teaching (I Tim.
  517)
• Qualifications
• Blameless (2a)nothing to take hold upon
  nothing in his life that Satan or unsaved can
  criticize or attack the church no man can live
  sinless, but he can strive to live above reproach

4

• The husband of one wife (2b) Adjectives are
  masculine. Pastors should not be divorced and
  remarried. His ability to manage his marriage
  and home shows his ability to oversee the church
• Vigilant (2c) temperate or sober. Temperate in
  all things (2Tim. 45). Keep your head in all
  situations (NIV)
• Sober (2d) be in a serious attitude and
  earnestness about his work.
• Of good behavior (2e) orderly in thinking,
  living, teaching and preaching modest

5

• Given to hospitality (2f) loving the strangers.
  A great help to the fellowship of a local church
• Apt to teach (2g) teaching is one of an elders
  main ministries
• A pastor is automatically a teacher (2Tim. 22,
  24 Eph. 411)
• Must be a careful student of Gods word. Lazy
  pastor in his study is a disgrace in his pulpit
• Not given to wine (3a) Not drink to excess. Use
  for medicinal purpose (I Tim. 523). Water wasnt
  pure in those days. Diluted wine. Difference
  between cultural use in Bible time and supporting
  the alcohol industry of today. Example of a
  weaker brother. (Rom 1421)

6

• No strikers (3b) Not contentious, not looking
  for a fight
• Not a greedy of filthy lucre (3c) Easy money if
  no conscience of integrity. Pastors should not
  work for filthy lucre (I Peter 52)
• Patient (3d) Gentle. Listen to people and be
  able to take criticism without reacting
• Not a brawler(3e) Pastor is to be a peacemaker,
  not troublemaker. They must disagree without
  being disagreeable. Short tempters will not work
  out for long ministries.

7

• Not covetous (3f) center mainly on money
  although they could occur to popularity, large
  ministry, etc.
• A godly family (4-5) if a mans won children
  cannot obey and respect him, then his church is
  not likely to respect and obey his leadership.
• For Christians, church and home are one
• Oversee with love and disciple rule and ruleth
  in I Timothy mean to preside, to govern
• Pastor directs the business of the church, not as
  dictator, but as a loving shepherd (I Peter 53)
• Take care of (v.5) suggests to personal
  ministry to the needs of the church

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• Not a novice (6) novice mean one newly
  planted. Age is not guarantee of maturity.
• A good testimony outside the church (7) Does he
  pay bills? Does he have a reputation among the
  unsaved people? The church needs to pray
  constantly for the pastor
• The Deacons (38-13)
• Deacon in English and diakonos in Greek means
  servant
• Acts 6 assistants to the apostles
• Today in a local church, deacons relieve the
  pastors of the tasks

9

• Qualifications
• Grave (8a) worthy of respect a man of Christian
  character worth imitating
• Not a double-tongued (8b) Deacon doesnt tell a
  tale from house to house not a gossip
• Not given to much wine (8c) I Timothy 33
• Not greedy of filthy lucre (8d) Deacons handle
  offering and distribute money to needy people in
  the church
• Doctrinally sound (9) mystery truth once
  hidden but now revealed by God. Deacons must
  understand Christian doctrine and obey it with
  good conscience. Deacons make decisions on Gods
  word and back up with godly lives. Some know
  constitution better than Gods word. Green book.
  A deacon who doesnt know Gods word cannot
  manage the affairs of the church. A deacon who
  doesnt live the Word of God (godly life) cannot
  manage the church of God.

10

• Tested and proved (10) it implies watching their
  lives and seeing how they conduct themselves.
  Matthew 2521 Thou has been faithful over a
  few things, I will make thee ruler over many
  things. Joseph - 13 years Moses 40 years
  Joshua David Jesus Paul. Untested Christian
  is an unprepared Christian.
• Godly home (11-12) Wives serious about the
  ministry not given to slanderous talk
  (slanderer, accuser) faithful in what they do.
  Damage in a church is caused when wives slander
  or gossip. Deaconess (diakonon) Phebe

11

• Willingness to work (v. 13)
• Deacon uses the office
• Greek word translated degree means rank, step, or
  rung on a ladder
• Faithful deacon has a good standing before God
  and men
• The Believers (314-16)
• Pictures of the church
• The house of God (v.5)
• A family or household
• Brethren (Paul) 1 Tim 46)
• Treat the members as he would treat the members
  of his family (1 Tim 51-2)

12

• Must be fed using God's Word
• Bread (Matt44) milk meat (Heb 512-14), 1Cor
  31-2) honey (Ps 119103)
• Need discipline in love
• Need encouragement example (1 Thess 27-12)
• The assembly (15b)
• Ekklesia means assembly
• Local church, assembly of believers
• The called out
• In Acts 738 Israel
• Timothy to conduct himself as a leader of a local
  church not as a religious dictator (! Peter 5
  3-5 3 John 9-12)
• The pillar ground of the truth (15c-16)
• The temple of Diana had 127 pillars
• Ground suggests a bulwark or stay (foundation)

13

• The local church is built on Jesus Christ (John
  146 1 Cor 39-15)
• Pillar relates to displaying the truth of His
  Word
• Hold forth the Word of life (Phil 216)
• Bulwark implies that the church protects the
  truth
• The main truth is the person work of Jesus
  Christ (1 Timothy 316)