Are We Living Godly Lives? (1 Tim 3:1-7)

I wonder, what do you think makes a good leader? If I shared with you some of the most famous leaders this world has known, I wonder what you would think of them and their leadership style.

Let’s start with Genghis Khan, the Mongol emperor in the 13^th Century inspiring terror wherever he went and slaughtered anyone without mercy.

What about Adolf Hitler, in his quest to make the world see the Germanic peoples to be superior in every way, he slaughtered 6 million Jews, plunged the world into a second world war which brought about the deaths of countless more souls.

Then there’s Joan of Arc, a poor peasant girl who inspired the French to take up arms against the invading English. She was later promoted to sainthood by the Roman Catholic Church.

Abraham Lincoln, 16^th president of the USA, remembered for his integrity and honesty, he is considered one the best leaders of the country. He abolished slavery in the US.

Martin Luther King Jr., a Baptist minister who had a dream that inspired millions of people to protest against racial discrimination and poverty, leading to the abolition of apartheid in America.

Despite the years between them and the different reasons for them coming to power, these and many other leaders are remembered for the way they influenced others. Some of them were really good leaders, but there are those who were misguided and enforced their beliefs on others, to the point where people were almost brainwashed to do their bidding. They used their influence and authority to persuade others to follow their new rule.

The thing is, this is not a new thing. Even though all these examples are considered modern era, this kind of behaviour, where leaders were inspiring people to do what they wanted for the wrong reasons was happening in Paul’s time.

If you will, turn with me back to Timothy chapter 1, you’ll see what I mean.

1 Timothy 1:3-7 – Paul is charging Timothy, a young church leader to ensure the leaders of the day were not instilling false doctrine. Timothy had to be able to identify these people and actively oppose those who were changing the gospel of Christ. By introducing rituals to make them cleaner or holier, controlling what they eat and drink, changing the truths of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Paul was encouraging Timothy to make sure these people did not have any power over the Christians and turning them from the one true God.

And then in 1 Timothy 2:1-7, Paul reminds Timothy to pray for all people, because (v3) This is good, and pleases God our Saviour who wants all people to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all people.

So despite these false teachers and leaders rising up throughout history, Paul urges us to pray for them that they come to a knowledge of the truth.

But, being able to identify a false teacher and opposing them is one thing, how would Timothy know what a good leader would look like or how would he know how to train a good leader. So, Paul gives him a list.

Before we get to the list of characteristics every good leader should exhibit, Paul turns the books (so to speak) on the whole leadership topic. After urging Timothy to look out for false teachers, he then tells him …

3:1

What makes leading a church (or an overseer) so noble?

Acts 20:28 charges all church leaders to Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the Church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Be shepherds of the church of God which he bought with his own blood. To be a church leader (or overseer) is a noble task indeed. Being responsible for the teaching, spiritual guidance, spiritual feeding and pastoral care of a flock of God’s people is surely the best thing anyone could do. The church of God are precious to God. We are his own. He bought us with his own blood on the cross at Calvary. Why shouldn’t the job be so important and honourable? I mean to take care of the family of the creator of the Universe? It’s better than being a Physics teacher, I can tell you!

By the very nature of this honourable and noble task of overseeing God’s people, the leader must exhibit certain qualities.

V2-3

Are these not obvious qualities for a church leader? Would we not expect them anyway to show these characteristics? I mean these are the people we run to when we are having problems, we confide in when we have done things wrong, these are the people we listen to every Sunday reminding us about the power of the gospel, teaching us right from wrong, telling us how we should live, they should be perfect in every way. Right?

Well verse 2 is not necessarily saying that. The overseer is to be above reproach. Cast your mind back to Genesis 3 – the fall of humanity. All sin spawns from that moment. All humans, sons and daughters of Adam are born sinners. We are all sinners. I am sure Paul, your church leader would be the first to declare he was a sinner. If it were not so, why would Christ give his life as a ransom for all people?

So if Paul, the apostle was saying church leaders were to be perfect in every way, who could lead God’s flock except Christ himself? Rather our church leaders should have a blameless reputation. They should be faithful in marriage (if they are married), not easily angered, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, a teacher, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not to argue unnecessarily and not to love money. Basically, they must live like a Christian should live as an example for us to live.

Turn with me to Galatians 5:19-26

How similar is that list to the one Paul gives Timothy? I don’t believe this is by accident. You see, I believe, Paul, the apostle to Gentiles, to you and me, is saying to us, a church leader must exhibit the lifestyle of what the flock should exhibit.

Didn’t Jesus say, treat others as you expect to be treated? Is it too far a stretch to think he may also mean what Paul is saying here? That as a church leader or overseer, they must live their life according to what they teach their flock.

V4 - They should be able to manage their family otherwise how could they manage other people?

V6 - They should be a long-standing Christian, not a new convert otherwise they may become conceited, becoming holier than thou!

V7 – they must have a good reputation outside the church – now that’s interesting – not only should they be above reproach in the church, they must have a good reputation outside the church so as not to fall in to disgrace and the devil’s trap.

Are these not the same qualities Galatians 5 tells us we should have?

There are two things here that we as church goers should take from these seven verses.

1: This is our checklist to ensure our church leader is godly. We as the church of God should be ensuring we are being fed truth and not falsities. We must use this list in 1 Timothy 3:1-7 to ensure we are not being led astray. In a similar way to verse 8-13 that govern deacons.

It is not up to our church leaders, however to convert us. It is not up to them to save us. Christ has already done that, the one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus who gave himself as a ransom for all people. (1 Tim 2:5) IS mighty to save even the vilest offender who truly believes. Only Christ is able to save our soul, only Christ is perfect enough to perfectly satisfy the debt of our sins. Only Christ could bare our punishment on his cross.

It is our church leader’s responsibility, however, to spiritually feed us, to nurture our fellowship with other Christians and with Christ and ultimately serve as an example to us all of how to live like Christ. As Christ came to serve, they too must serve.

Christ exhibited these characteristics throughout his life on earth and so should his church overseers in their noble task of leading his flock.

2: The second thing we should take from these seven verses is that it is a checklist for our own lives. Are we living godly lives?

I know I fail miserably every single day. I struggle with sin daily, horrible sin, clingy sin, sin I cannot deal with myself, sin that just builds up and up until it is overwhelming.

For several months prior to the second week of the Keswick Convention last year, I was seriously struggling with sin. A sin that clogged my mind with guilt, a sin that forced me to consider leaving my church, turning from God – I was too guilty for even Christ to save, that was what it felt like. Sure I carried on regardless, so no one knew how I felt, but my walk with God was non-existent (at least I thought it was). But praise God, the powerful message taught on the last service of that second week of the convention was so strong that it broke through the chains of my sin. I was convicted there and then. I started crying, I started praising God – I felt a new sense of being. God had broken the chains of my guilt and set me free.

But you know what the most powerful and wonderful thing of it all is – Even if we do falter and fall into sin, and we will constantly, God is so mighty to forgive, he is willing to forgive, he wants everyone to be saved and to come into the knowledge of the truth.

This list in chapter 3:1-7 is a list for us all, for me and for you, to guide our lives according to how Christ lived on Earth. We should use it to shape our daily lives, our interactions with others, even when we are on our own in public – you never know who is watching you. This list is our guide on how to live in this dark world and if we follow it, it will keep us safe from the Devil’s trap in v7, at least until Christ gloriously returns or calls us home.