1 00:00:00,000 –> 00:00:01,900 Now please open your Bible at 1 Timothy 2 00:00:01,900 –> 00:00:05,760 and chapter three, 1 Timothy and chapter three. 3 00:00:05,760 –> 00:00:09,580 Our aim in this series is to be shaped by the Bible, 4 00:00:09,580 –> 00:00:11,240 not only in our personal lives, 5 00:00:11,240 –> 00:00:12,860 but also in the life and ministry 6 00:00:12,860 –> 00:00:15,280 that we share together as a church. 7 00:00:15,280 –> 00:00:18,559 We don’t want simply to drift with the currents of culture. 8 00:00:18,559 –> 00:00:21,000 We want to be responsive to the Holy Spirit 9 00:00:21,000 –> 00:00:24,920 and the Spirit speaks to us through the Word, 10 00:00:24,920 –> 00:00:26,360 and we’ve been saying, therefore, 11 00:00:26,360 –> 00:00:28,959 that we want to be people who are rooted in truth 12 00:00:29,080 –> 00:00:30,940 and growing in love. 13 00:00:30,940 –> 00:00:34,599 We want to be drawn by grace, not driven by law. 14 00:00:34,599 –> 00:00:36,040 We know that we are sinners 15 00:00:36,040 –> 00:00:38,520 who are saved by God’s grace through faith 16 00:00:38,520 –> 00:00:41,400 in the Lord Jesus Christ, 17 00:00:41,400 –> 00:00:42,919 and then we have seen last week 18 00:00:42,919 –> 00:00:45,520 that God calls us to a global ministry 19 00:00:45,520 –> 00:00:47,400 of the Word and prayer. 20 00:00:47,400 –> 00:00:52,279 We were rejoicing in the fact that the gospel fires mission 21 00:00:52,279 –> 00:00:54,619 because Christ died for all, 22 00:00:54,619 –> 00:00:57,880 and it stands to reason that if there is one mediator, 23 00:00:57,880 –> 00:00:59,160 there is one gospel, 24 00:00:59,160 –> 00:01:00,439 and if there is one gospel, 25 00:01:00,439 –> 00:01:03,400 it must be for all people. 26 00:01:03,400 –> 00:01:05,320 And therefore, the question that we come to 27 00:01:05,320 –> 00:01:08,519 at the beginning of chapter three really is this. 28 00:01:08,519 –> 00:01:10,160 Since the church is called 29 00:01:10,160 –> 00:01:14,900 to a global mission of the Word and prayer, 30 00:01:15,879 –> 00:01:20,639 what kind of people will get this global job done? 31 00:01:20,639 –> 00:01:24,660 That’s the question at the beginning of chapter three. 32 00:01:24,660 –> 00:01:25,919 That’s why we’re looking today 33 00:01:25,980 –> 00:01:28,919 at this great subject of gospel character. 34 00:01:28,919 –> 00:01:32,879 I want us to see the character and the competence 35 00:01:32,879 –> 00:01:36,059 of an effective Christian leader. 36 00:01:36,059 –> 00:01:37,320 And you’ll notice straight away 37 00:01:37,320 –> 00:01:40,720 that chapter three is all about leaders. 38 00:01:40,720 –> 00:01:44,419 If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, 39 00:01:44,419 –> 00:01:47,339 that word could also be translated an elder. 40 00:01:47,339 –> 00:01:48,959 It means the same thing. 41 00:01:48,959 –> 00:01:52,320 He desires a noble task. 42 00:01:52,320 –> 00:01:54,019 And we’re going to look at what God says 43 00:01:54,019 –> 00:01:57,000 about leadership in the church today. 44 00:01:57,000 –> 00:02:01,900 Now most of us are not called to be elders or deacons. 45 00:02:01,900 –> 00:02:04,559 So I guess for most of us the question is going to be 46 00:02:04,559 –> 00:02:06,660 well now what in the world does this really have 47 00:02:06,660 –> 00:02:08,899 to do with me? 48 00:02:08,899 –> 00:02:11,139 I want to give three answers so that we know 49 00:02:11,139 –> 00:02:14,179 how to apply the Scriptures to ourselves 50 00:02:14,179 –> 00:02:16,580 because there is something here for every person 51 00:02:16,580 –> 00:02:18,160 in the congregation today. 52 00:02:18,160 –> 00:02:20,539 In fact, there are three things 53 00:02:20,539 –> 00:02:23,199 for every person in the congregation today. 54 00:02:23,199 –> 00:02:24,699 Here’s the first. 55 00:02:24,699 –> 00:02:27,899 This is going to help us with discernment. 56 00:02:27,899 –> 00:02:32,339 That is what to look for in the appointing 57 00:02:32,339 –> 00:02:36,520 and calling and sending of leaders. 58 00:02:36,520 –> 00:02:39,020 See, who should lead in the church? 59 00:02:39,020 –> 00:02:41,539 Who should be sent to the mission field? 60 00:02:41,539 –> 00:02:44,559 Who should be called to be a pastor? 61 00:02:44,559 –> 00:02:46,500 What are the marks of those who are going to be 62 00:02:46,500 –> 00:02:51,460 most useful in the cause of Jesus Christ? 63 00:02:51,500 –> 00:02:53,399 Who should we trust? 64 00:02:53,399 –> 00:02:56,559 Who should we follow? 65 00:02:56,559 –> 00:02:59,559 Now, these are all issues that are addressed, really, 66 00:02:59,559 –> 00:03:02,399 in 1 Timothy chapter 3. 67 00:03:02,399 –> 00:03:04,339 You should know that with regards to the appointing 68 00:03:04,339 –> 00:03:06,419 of lay leaders in our church, 69 00:03:06,419 –> 00:03:08,479 the way in which we do this here 70 00:03:08,479 –> 00:03:11,580 is through the work of the nominating committee, 71 00:03:11,580 –> 00:03:14,100 and every year, all of us as a congregation, 72 00:03:14,100 –> 00:03:18,220 we are invited to submit to the nominating committee 73 00:03:18,220 –> 00:03:20,520 the names of people who we think 74 00:03:20,520 –> 00:03:22,880 might be suitable to serve 75 00:03:22,880 –> 00:03:25,880 as lay leaders in this church. 76 00:03:25,880 –> 00:03:27,699 You were given, earlier this year, 77 00:03:27,699 –> 00:03:29,440 that invitation, and many people 78 00:03:29,440 –> 00:03:32,520 responded very helpfully to it. 79 00:03:32,520 –> 00:03:34,039 You were also given at that time 80 00:03:34,039 –> 00:03:37,279 an outline of what to look for 81 00:03:37,279 –> 00:03:38,740 in potential leaders, 82 00:03:38,740 –> 00:03:41,720 candidates for leadership in the church, 83 00:03:41,720 –> 00:03:44,979 and that outline was taken very largely 84 00:03:44,979 –> 00:03:47,380 from this very chapter, 1 Timothy in chapter 3. 85 00:03:47,380 –> 00:03:48,839 So you need to know, 86 00:03:49,100 –> 00:03:50,679 and this should be encouraging to you, 87 00:03:50,679 –> 00:03:53,279 that those who serve us as a congregation 88 00:03:53,279 –> 00:03:56,300 in interviewing and selecting future leaders, 89 00:03:56,300 –> 00:03:57,800 lay leaders in the church, 90 00:03:57,800 –> 00:04:01,559 are taking this scripture very seriously. 91 00:04:01,559 –> 00:04:02,820 As we have the opportunity 92 00:04:02,820 –> 00:04:05,080 to give input into the work that they are doing, 93 00:04:05,080 –> 00:04:07,119 as many of us have done again this year, 94 00:04:07,119 –> 00:04:09,039 and will do in future years, 95 00:04:09,039 –> 00:04:11,919 we need to be familiar with what it is 96 00:04:11,919 –> 00:04:15,899 to look for in discerning who should serve. 97 00:04:15,899 –> 00:04:17,359 It’s good to remember, by the way, 98 00:04:17,359 –> 00:04:20,339 that the biblical pattern is never 99 00:04:20,339 –> 00:04:21,940 that you give a man a job 100 00:04:21,940 –> 00:04:23,920 and then hope that he’ll rise to it. 101 00:04:23,920 –> 00:04:26,880 That’s not how it is in leadership in the church. 102 00:04:26,880 –> 00:04:28,019 You don’t give him the position 103 00:04:28,019 –> 00:04:30,619 and hope he’ll rise to the challenge. 104 00:04:30,619 –> 00:04:33,239 The biblical pattern is to look 105 00:04:33,239 –> 00:04:36,320 for leaders who exemplify 106 00:04:36,320 –> 00:04:38,000 the character and competence 107 00:04:38,000 –> 00:04:40,140 we’re going to see in the bible today, 108 00:04:40,140 –> 00:04:42,119 and where that is already in place 109 00:04:42,119 –> 00:04:43,619 in a person’s life, 110 00:04:43,619 –> 00:04:46,420 that is the evidence that God’s hand is upon them 111 00:04:46,500 –> 00:04:48,459 and that they are ready to be trusted 112 00:04:48,459 –> 00:04:52,079 with an enlarged sphere of service. 113 00:04:52,079 –> 00:04:53,739 So what we will learn today 114 00:04:53,739 –> 00:04:55,619 will help us to grow in discernment. 115 00:04:55,619 –> 00:04:57,339 That’s its first application. 116 00:04:58,260 –> 00:04:59,619 What should we be looking for 117 00:04:59,619 –> 00:05:02,459 in the leaders that we elect? 118 00:05:02,459 –> 00:05:03,859 What should we be looking for 119 00:05:03,859 –> 00:05:06,380 in the pastors we may call? 120 00:05:06,380 –> 00:05:07,899 What should we be looking for 121 00:05:07,899 –> 00:05:10,700 in the missionaries we may send? 122 00:05:10,700 –> 00:05:12,559 What are the characteristics 123 00:05:12,679 –> 00:05:16,540 that point to future effectiveness 124 00:05:16,540 –> 00:05:19,600 in Christian leadership? 125 00:05:19,600 –> 00:05:21,200 So the first aim, discernment. 126 00:05:21,200 –> 00:05:22,679 Here’s the second. 127 00:05:22,679 –> 00:05:24,799 It’s going to help all of us 128 00:05:24,799 –> 00:05:27,359 in terms of direction. 129 00:05:27,359 –> 00:05:29,160 Because we’re looking at the question 130 00:05:29,160 –> 00:05:32,459 of what lies behind 131 00:05:32,459 –> 00:05:35,519 the greatest usefulness in Christian service, 132 00:05:35,519 –> 00:05:37,160 we’re going to identify things 133 00:05:37,160 –> 00:05:40,600 that all of us can pursue, cultivate, 134 00:05:40,600 –> 00:05:42,480 in order to be more useful 135 00:05:42,480 –> 00:05:44,660 to Jesus Christ in the future 136 00:05:44,660 –> 00:05:47,239 than we have been in the past. 137 00:05:47,239 –> 00:05:48,079 Notice verse one. 138 00:05:48,079 –> 00:05:49,559 Here is a trustworthy saying. 139 00:05:49,559 –> 00:05:51,459 If anyone sets his heart 140 00:05:51,459 –> 00:05:52,859 on being an overseer, 141 00:05:52,859 –> 00:05:56,239 he desires a noble task. 142 00:05:56,239 –> 00:05:58,160 So Paul is saying that 143 00:05:58,160 –> 00:06:00,359 to have it in your heart 144 00:06:00,359 –> 00:06:03,000 to be more useful to Jesus Christ 145 00:06:03,000 –> 00:06:04,959 and to maximize the contribution 146 00:06:04,959 –> 00:06:06,920 that you can make to the work of the gospel. 147 00:06:06,920 –> 00:06:07,980 That’s a great thing. 148 00:06:07,980 –> 00:06:09,239 That’s a noble thing. 149 00:06:10,279 –> 00:06:11,760 Some of us in the congregation 150 00:06:11,779 –> 00:06:13,619 are wrestling with this question right now. 151 00:06:13,619 –> 00:06:16,100 At any time in our congregation, 152 00:06:16,100 –> 00:06:19,179 there is some folks who are asking these questions. 153 00:06:19,179 –> 00:06:20,779 Should I go to seminary? 154 00:06:22,160 –> 00:06:24,980 Could it be that God wants me overseas? 155 00:06:25,940 –> 00:06:28,839 Should I be in full-time Christian ministry? 156 00:06:29,859 –> 00:06:30,899 Now it’s a wonderful thing 157 00:06:30,899 –> 00:06:32,059 that we have folks among us 158 00:06:32,059 –> 00:06:34,760 who are asking these questions. 159 00:06:34,760 –> 00:06:36,100 But if that is where you’re at, 160 00:06:36,100 –> 00:06:37,480 let me encourage you with this. 161 00:06:37,559 –> 00:06:39,540 The first thing, 162 00:06:39,540 –> 00:06:42,579 the first thing for you to pursue 163 00:06:42,579 –> 00:06:47,119 is what’s right here in 1 Timothy and chapter 3. 164 00:06:48,579 –> 00:06:53,579 Then I want to sound the trumpet in a loud blast of joy 165 00:06:54,500 –> 00:06:58,160 with regards to lay leaders in the church. 166 00:06:59,059 –> 00:07:00,179 Because you know, 167 00:07:00,179 –> 00:07:02,380 when Paul talks about overseers, elders, 168 00:07:02,380 –> 00:07:03,839 and he talks about deacons here, 169 00:07:03,839 –> 00:07:06,859 he’s talking about lay leaders, 170 00:07:06,859 –> 00:07:10,899 folks who earn their living in the marketplace 171 00:07:10,899 –> 00:07:14,339 and who give themselves voluntarily 172 00:07:14,339 –> 00:07:16,880 as lay leaders in the ministry of the church. 173 00:07:16,880 –> 00:07:20,339 And Paul says here that is a noble task. 174 00:07:20,339 –> 00:07:22,399 It is a wonderful thing 175 00:07:22,399 –> 00:07:26,040 for a person to serve in this kind of way. 176 00:07:26,040 –> 00:07:27,739 And I would want that there would be 177 00:07:27,739 –> 00:07:29,440 many young people among us who, 178 00:07:29,440 –> 00:07:31,660 even today you would have it in your heart to say, 179 00:07:31,660 –> 00:07:33,739 you know, when I go to college 180 00:07:33,739 –> 00:07:37,100 I want to train to be an engineer 181 00:07:37,100 –> 00:07:42,100 and I want to be most useful in my local church. 182 00:07:42,359 –> 00:07:43,440 I wanna be a teacher. 183 00:07:43,440 –> 00:07:45,079 I wanna be in business. 184 00:07:45,079 –> 00:07:47,260 Whatever it is. 185 00:07:47,260 –> 00:07:50,799 And I want to maximize my usefulness 186 00:07:50,799 –> 00:07:54,839 as a servant of Jesus Christ in my church. 187 00:07:54,839 –> 00:07:55,839 That’s a wonderful thing. 188 00:07:55,839 –> 00:07:58,040 That’s a noble thing. 189 00:07:58,040 –> 00:08:00,859 And Paul commends it to us. 190 00:08:00,859 –> 00:08:03,220 Now let me just raise one or two other applications 191 00:08:03,260 –> 00:08:05,359 so that we’re seeing the breadth of this. 192 00:08:06,160 –> 00:08:08,179 Everyone who is a father here, 193 00:08:09,260 –> 00:08:12,200 everyone who is a grandfather here, 194 00:08:12,200 –> 00:08:14,339 1 Timothy 3 is for you 195 00:08:14,339 –> 00:08:19,339 because to be a father means that God has appointed you 196 00:08:19,399 –> 00:08:22,940 as an elder in your own house. 197 00:08:22,940 –> 00:08:24,500 That’s what it means to be a father. 198 00:08:24,500 –> 00:08:27,179 You are the spiritual leader 199 00:08:27,179 –> 00:08:30,920 of the family God has trusted to you. 200 00:08:30,920 –> 00:08:32,380 So for every father, 201 00:08:32,419 –> 00:08:35,239 what we’re learning here, this is for you. 202 00:08:35,239 –> 00:08:36,719 For every Christian here, 203 00:08:36,719 –> 00:08:38,460 that’s gonna be the great majority of us. 204 00:08:38,460 –> 00:08:41,400 Not all of us, but the great majority of us. 205 00:08:41,400 –> 00:08:43,619 For every Christian, this is for you. 206 00:08:43,619 –> 00:08:44,719 Why? 207 00:08:44,719 –> 00:08:46,479 Well, because leaders are not called 208 00:08:46,479 –> 00:08:48,919 to a different life from the congregation. 209 00:08:48,919 –> 00:08:52,380 Leaders are called to model the same life 210 00:08:52,380 –> 00:08:54,119 to which we are all called. 211 00:08:54,119 –> 00:08:56,859 God looks for this character and this competence 212 00:08:56,859 –> 00:08:58,840 that we’re going to look at today 213 00:08:58,840 –> 00:09:00,400 in leaders first, 214 00:09:00,440 –> 00:09:02,880 because leaders are to be an example of this 215 00:09:02,880 –> 00:09:05,219 to the rest of the flock, 216 00:09:05,219 –> 00:09:06,679 but they’re not called to something different. 217 00:09:06,679 –> 00:09:08,900 They’re called to lead all of us 218 00:09:08,900 –> 00:09:11,359 in what God is calling us to as well. 219 00:09:11,359 –> 00:09:15,859 If you’re young, this is for you. 220 00:09:15,859 –> 00:09:19,119 If you’re in high school, if you’re in middle school, 221 00:09:19,119 –> 00:09:20,760 so grateful for all the high schoolers 222 00:09:20,760 –> 00:09:23,940 and middle schoolers and the congregations today. 223 00:09:23,940 –> 00:09:26,039 In chapter four, in verse seven, 224 00:09:26,039 –> 00:09:30,099 Paul says, Train yourself to be godly, 225 00:09:31,359 –> 00:09:33,520 and to all who are young, 226 00:09:33,520 –> 00:09:36,599 here’s my prayer for the message this week. 227 00:09:37,520 –> 00:09:41,820 It is that God will place a deep desire in your heart 228 00:09:41,820 –> 00:09:45,260 now that you will live now in a way 229 00:09:45,260 –> 00:09:46,320 that is going to make you 230 00:09:46,320 –> 00:09:50,679 the most useful kind of person you can be 231 00:09:50,679 –> 00:09:52,840 in the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ 232 00:09:52,840 –> 00:09:57,119 in your future years and in your adult life, 233 00:09:57,119 –> 00:09:58,479 and just one more thing here, 234 00:09:58,479 –> 00:10:00,320 I want to say that if you’re disappointed 235 00:10:01,239 –> 00:10:03,659 in your own life, this is for you. 236 00:10:03,659 –> 00:10:06,619 There will be some folks in this congregation today, 237 00:10:06,619 –> 00:10:09,159 and even in hearing the reading 238 00:10:10,080 –> 00:10:11,619 and the description of the life 239 00:10:11,619 –> 00:10:14,020 that God is calling leaders to, 240 00:10:15,039 –> 00:10:16,760 you will say, well you know, 241 00:10:16,760 –> 00:10:19,280 I haven’t done what I wanted to do in my life, 242 00:10:19,280 –> 00:10:20,979 and I am not in the place 243 00:10:20,979 –> 00:10:24,000 that I would have wanted to be in my life. 244 00:10:24,000 –> 00:10:26,200 Frankly, I wish I could rerun my life 245 00:10:26,200 –> 00:10:29,200 and undo some of the things that have happened, 246 00:10:29,299 –> 00:10:32,159 undo some of the mistakes that I’ve made. 247 00:10:32,159 –> 00:10:33,359 I want you to hear this. 248 00:10:33,359 –> 00:10:36,140 Jesus Christ came to redeem. 249 00:10:36,140 –> 00:10:39,299 Jesus Christ came to restore what was lost. 250 00:10:39,299 –> 00:10:42,739 Jesus Christ came to recreate what has been destroyed. 251 00:10:43,859 –> 00:10:47,659 And what we are learning today can be your future, 252 00:10:47,659 –> 00:10:50,299 even if it has not been your past. 253 00:10:50,299 –> 00:10:52,260 That’s good news, isn’t it? 254 00:10:52,260 –> 00:10:55,460 That’s what it means to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 255 00:10:55,460 –> 00:10:57,159 that a man or a woman or a family 256 00:10:57,179 –> 00:11:00,919 can indeed in Christ pursue a different track in the future 257 00:11:00,919 –> 00:11:03,640 from what has been the character in the past. 258 00:11:03,640 –> 00:11:05,599 That’s the hope of the gospel. 259 00:11:05,599 –> 00:11:08,500 And so I want you to hear what we’re being called to hear 260 00:11:08,500 –> 00:11:10,520 in that context and to say, 261 00:11:10,520 –> 00:11:14,440 now the Lord Jesus Christ can lead me into this 262 00:11:14,440 –> 00:11:19,440 and my future can be different from my past. 263 00:11:19,440 –> 00:11:21,000 You realize this is all the wrong way around. 264 00:11:21,000 –> 00:11:22,679 You’re getting the application first 265 00:11:22,679 –> 00:11:24,599 and then the content afterwards. 266 00:11:24,599 –> 00:11:28,380 But I want us to hear the content rightly. 267 00:11:28,380 –> 00:11:30,460 It’s gonna help us discern. 268 00:11:30,460 –> 00:11:33,340 It’s gonna help us know what to pursue. 269 00:11:33,340 –> 00:11:34,460 And then one more thing, 270 00:11:34,460 –> 00:11:38,299 it’s going to help us in knowing what to thank God for, 271 00:11:38,299 –> 00:11:39,859 gratitude. 272 00:11:39,859 –> 00:11:43,539 And I hope this comes through in the message today 273 00:11:43,539 –> 00:11:48,539 as I have studied the scripture again this week, 274 00:11:49,080 –> 00:11:54,080 I felt both the challenge of it afresh in my own life 275 00:11:54,460 –> 00:11:58,099 and I have felt gratitude to God 276 00:11:58,099 –> 00:12:02,659 for every way in which I see this character 277 00:12:02,659 –> 00:12:07,659 in others who lead in this church at this time. 278 00:12:07,820 –> 00:12:10,179 I am thinking of our pastors, 279 00:12:10,179 –> 00:12:12,419 I am thinking of our elders, 280 00:12:12,419 –> 00:12:14,219 I am thinking of our board members, 281 00:12:14,219 –> 00:12:16,140 I am thinking of our missionaries, 282 00:12:16,140 –> 00:12:18,880 I’m thinking of our lay ministry leaders. 283 00:12:19,900 –> 00:12:23,940 And the reason I have been refreshed with thanksgiving 284 00:12:23,979 –> 00:12:27,239 this week is that I see so much 285 00:12:27,239 –> 00:12:29,960 of what Paul talks about here 286 00:12:29,960 –> 00:12:32,719 in the leaders who are serving us in this congregation. 287 00:12:32,719 –> 00:12:35,179 I hope you see that too. 288 00:12:35,179 –> 00:12:37,059 And as you see it, 289 00:12:37,059 –> 00:12:40,900 you will want with me to give thanks for it. 290 00:12:40,900 –> 00:12:42,700 Folks, you don’t need me to tell you 291 00:12:42,700 –> 00:12:45,140 how many churches have been ruined 292 00:12:45,140 –> 00:12:47,500 by the wrong people being in leadership. 293 00:12:48,799 –> 00:12:51,640 And so when there are godly people in leadership 294 00:12:51,640 –> 00:12:52,599 of a local church, 295 00:12:52,619 –> 00:12:55,380 that is something for which all the people of God 296 00:12:55,380 –> 00:12:58,020 ought to be thankful and grateful 297 00:12:58,020 –> 00:13:01,580 and have hearts full of praise. 298 00:13:01,580 –> 00:13:04,020 So here are my three aims. 299 00:13:04,020 –> 00:13:06,580 That we will grow in discernment, 300 00:13:06,580 –> 00:13:08,039 that we will grow in clarity 301 00:13:08,039 –> 00:13:10,460 in what to pursue in direction 302 00:13:10,460 –> 00:13:12,580 and that our hearts may be refreshed 303 00:13:12,580 –> 00:13:14,739 with a sense of thanksgiving 304 00:13:14,739 –> 00:13:19,479 for the abundant goodness of God to us in this congregation. 305 00:13:19,479 –> 00:13:21,500 Now just one more thing before we get into it 306 00:13:21,500 –> 00:13:23,780 and that is an important observation. 307 00:13:25,140 –> 00:13:30,140 The Bible makes clear to us the principles and for leadership 308 00:13:32,179 –> 00:13:36,000 but it does not give to us a fixed pattern 309 00:13:36,000 –> 00:13:38,700 or structure for leadership. 310 00:13:39,780 –> 00:13:42,020 And one of the evidences of that is when you look 311 00:13:42,020 –> 00:13:47,020 at the qualities or characteristics of elders 312 00:13:47,099 –> 00:13:48,760 and then you look in this same chapter 313 00:13:48,760 –> 00:13:51,299 at what Paul says about deacons, 314 00:13:51,340 –> 00:13:54,000 if you lay them out in two columns side by side 315 00:13:54,000 –> 00:13:55,960 and draw lines across between them, 316 00:13:55,960 –> 00:13:58,820 you will be struck by how similar they are. 317 00:13:59,719 –> 00:14:01,479 The similarities in these qualities 318 00:14:01,479 –> 00:14:04,119 are much more evident than the differences 319 00:14:04,119 –> 00:14:05,719 that are relatively minor. 320 00:14:08,520 –> 00:14:12,119 Throughout history there has been great debate 321 00:14:12,119 –> 00:14:17,119 about what is the appropriate structure for a church 322 00:14:17,299 –> 00:14:21,219 and some of you know well that Episcopalians 323 00:14:21,219 –> 00:14:23,900 have their bishops and they appeal 324 00:14:23,900 –> 00:14:27,179 to 1 Timothy 3 for it. 325 00:14:27,179 –> 00:14:29,780 Presbyterians have their presbyteries 326 00:14:29,780 –> 00:14:32,780 and appeal to 1 Timothy 3 for it. 327 00:14:32,780 –> 00:14:34,760 Baptists of their deacons and appeal 328 00:14:34,760 –> 00:14:37,200 to 1 Timothy chapter 3 for it. 329 00:14:37,200 –> 00:14:40,479 And free churches have their elders and their boards 330 00:14:40,479 –> 00:14:43,099 and will appeal to 1 Timothy chapter 3 for it. 331 00:14:43,099 –> 00:14:45,219 In other words folks we could discuss 332 00:14:45,239 –> 00:14:47,619 what is the right structure for church leadership 333 00:14:47,619 –> 00:14:51,080 for the rest of our lives and we’d never resolve it. 334 00:14:51,080 –> 00:14:55,679 What matters is not the particular structure 335 00:14:55,679 –> 00:14:57,719 of leadership within a church which frankly 336 00:14:57,719 –> 00:14:59,299 will vary from church to church 337 00:14:59,299 –> 00:15:01,640 and may vary over time as well. 338 00:15:01,640 –> 00:15:06,479 What really matters is the quality of leadership 339 00:15:06,479 –> 00:15:08,200 at every level of a local church 340 00:15:08,200 –> 00:15:10,479 and that’s what Paul is concerned about here. 341 00:15:11,559 –> 00:15:14,020 And that’s what we’re concerned about, 342 00:15:14,020 –> 00:15:17,260 and that’s what to, we are grateful for. 343 00:15:17,260 –> 00:15:20,859 So the questions before us then are really these. 344 00:15:20,859 –> 00:15:23,479 What kind of people should we trust? 345 00:15:23,479 –> 00:15:25,840 What kind of people should we follow? 346 00:15:25,840 –> 00:15:28,039 What kind of people should lead? 347 00:15:29,219 –> 00:15:31,739 What kind of people should we seek to become 348 00:15:31,739 –> 00:15:34,539 in order to be more useful to Jesus Christ? 349 00:15:35,500 –> 00:15:39,679 And what kind of people should fill us with thanksgiving 350 00:15:39,760 –> 00:15:43,760 as we see Godly character and fruit in their lives? 351 00:15:45,919 –> 00:15:48,200 Well, let’s look then at the character and competence 352 00:15:48,200 –> 00:15:50,479 of an effective Christian leader 353 00:15:50,479 –> 00:15:52,280 and let’s begin with character 354 00:15:52,280 –> 00:15:54,159 and there are three things I think 355 00:15:54,159 –> 00:15:57,080 that we have to look for here. 356 00:15:57,080 –> 00:16:00,640 The first, I’ve summarized as wise judgment. 357 00:16:00,640 –> 00:16:03,580 You see that in the words temperate, self-controlled, 358 00:16:03,580 –> 00:16:06,380 respectable, and not given to drunkenness 359 00:16:06,380 –> 00:16:08,219 in verse two and three. 360 00:16:09,219 –> 00:16:13,020 Temperate simply means thoughtful. 361 00:16:13,020 –> 00:16:17,659 Someone who doesn’t make rash or impulsive decisions. 362 00:16:17,659 –> 00:16:20,200 Someone who is watchful, someone who is vigilant, 363 00:16:20,200 –> 00:16:22,500 someone who’s careful in the way that they speak 364 00:16:22,500 –> 00:16:25,119 and careful in the way that they act. 365 00:16:26,039 –> 00:16:27,659 To be temperate is developed 366 00:16:27,659 –> 00:16:30,700 as you pursue self-control, verse two, 367 00:16:30,700 –> 00:16:33,059 which of course is the fruit of the Holy Spirit 368 00:16:33,059 –> 00:16:34,260 in a person’s life. 369 00:16:35,159 –> 00:16:37,179 Self-control means that with God’s help, 370 00:16:37,179 –> 00:16:41,080 you over time increasingly master your life, 371 00:16:41,080 –> 00:16:46,080 your tongue, your moods, and your passions. 372 00:16:46,679 –> 00:16:49,340 And when a person grows in self-control, 373 00:16:49,340 –> 00:16:52,760 that will lead them to be held in high respect. 374 00:16:52,760 –> 00:16:55,760 That’s why the word respectable is in verse two. 375 00:16:56,719 –> 00:17:00,280 Not given to drunkiness clearly comes in here in verse three 376 00:17:00,280 –> 00:17:03,760 because drunkenness makes all these qualities impossible. 377 00:17:03,900 –> 00:17:06,660 A man who indulges in too much wine 378 00:17:06,660 –> 00:17:10,000 loses his self-control and with it, 379 00:17:10,000 –> 00:17:12,900 he loses the respect of other people. 380 00:17:12,900 –> 00:17:16,339 He is therefore unable to exercise wise judgment 381 00:17:16,339 –> 00:17:19,680 and therefore is very limited in his usefulness 382 00:17:19,680 –> 00:17:21,859 in the ministry of the Church. 383 00:17:23,140 –> 00:17:25,680 So in discerning who should lead and who to trust 384 00:17:25,680 –> 00:17:28,400 and who to send and who we should follow, 385 00:17:29,060 –> 00:17:34,060 look at the decisions or the lack of decisions 386 00:17:34,640 –> 00:17:38,219 that a person has made in his or her life. 387 00:17:38,219 –> 00:17:40,160 What came of them? 388 00:17:40,160 –> 00:17:42,420 Did they bear the marks of wisdom? 389 00:17:43,640 –> 00:17:47,859 What in this person’s life have they said or done? 390 00:17:47,859 –> 00:17:49,839 What positions have they taken, 391 00:17:49,839 –> 00:17:52,140 particularly in times of difficulty? 392 00:17:52,140 –> 00:17:55,500 Do you see evidence of wise judgment here? 393 00:17:55,500 –> 00:17:57,439 These are the questions to ask. 394 00:17:58,780 –> 00:17:59,959 And then secondly, 395 00:17:59,959 –> 00:18:03,020 there’s the whole area of healthy relationships. 396 00:18:03,020 –> 00:18:04,239 Paul speaks in verse three 397 00:18:04,239 –> 00:18:07,780 about someone who’s not violent but gentle. 398 00:18:09,219 –> 00:18:12,280 The elder of course cannot be weak. 399 00:18:12,280 –> 00:18:16,079 The elder has to be able to confront false doctrine, 400 00:18:16,079 –> 00:18:18,280 that’s chapter one in verse three, 401 00:18:18,280 –> 00:18:20,280 and defend true doctrine. 402 00:18:20,280 –> 00:18:24,040 The elder has to watch his life and his doctrine closely. 403 00:18:24,040 –> 00:18:26,959 But while the elder must have the strength to confront, 404 00:18:27,099 –> 00:18:30,680 he must have compassion, he must have understanding, 405 00:18:30,680 –> 00:18:35,219 he must have sympathy, he must be redemptive in his spirit 406 00:18:35,219 –> 00:18:37,459 because he is to reflect the spirit 407 00:18:37,459 –> 00:18:39,959 of the Lord Jesus Christ. 408 00:18:39,959 –> 00:18:42,900 And the elder must not be quarrelsome. 409 00:18:42,900 –> 00:18:46,500 That’s verse three, that’s a relational quality as well. 410 00:18:46,500 –> 00:18:49,199 Have you noticed that there are some people in life 411 00:18:49,199 –> 00:18:52,800 who seem to just carry conflict within them? 412 00:18:52,800 –> 00:18:54,619 Wherever they go they seem to pick a fight, 413 00:18:54,719 –> 00:18:57,900 they’re always in some debated issue over this or that. 414 00:18:57,900 –> 00:19:00,859 They have a contrarian spirit. 415 00:19:00,859 –> 00:19:02,500 They promote controversies, 416 00:19:02,500 –> 00:19:04,400 that’s chapter one and verse three. 417 00:19:05,339 –> 00:19:06,900 They stir up trouble. 418 00:19:07,979 –> 00:19:10,780 So in discerning who should lead, 419 00:19:10,780 –> 00:19:12,619 because that kind of person in leadership 420 00:19:12,619 –> 00:19:15,819 will cause all kinds of trouble for the church, 421 00:19:15,819 –> 00:19:18,579 we should ask questions about 422 00:19:18,579 –> 00:19:21,540 the relational health of a person. 423 00:19:21,540 –> 00:19:24,180 Is this person contentious? 424 00:19:24,180 –> 00:19:27,699 Does trouble follow them from place to place? 425 00:19:29,300 –> 00:19:33,020 Wise judgment, relational health. 426 00:19:33,020 –> 00:19:35,180 Third, moral integrity. 427 00:19:35,180 –> 00:19:37,140 This is in two areas. 428 00:19:37,140 –> 00:19:40,140 First of all, in regards to faithfulness in marriage, 429 00:19:40,140 –> 00:19:42,939 the husband of but one wife in verse two, 430 00:19:42,939 –> 00:19:44,920 and then faithfulness with money, 431 00:19:44,920 –> 00:19:48,599 not a lover of money, which is in verse three. 432 00:19:49,800 –> 00:19:52,199 The husband of one wife, 433 00:19:52,199 –> 00:19:54,040 this does not mean, by the way, 434 00:19:54,040 –> 00:19:56,719 that a person has to be married in order to lead. 435 00:19:56,719 –> 00:20:00,319 The apostle Paul clearly was never married. 436 00:20:00,319 –> 00:20:03,640 So it does not mean that a person has to be married. 437 00:20:03,640 –> 00:20:08,640 It does mean that if a person is single he must be celibate 438 00:20:09,760 –> 00:20:13,880 and if he is married he must be faithful. 439 00:20:13,880 –> 00:20:16,640 Then faithfulness with money comes in here. 440 00:20:16,640 –> 00:20:19,459 The elder is not to be a lover of money. 441 00:20:19,459 –> 00:20:20,680 The deacon, verse eight, 442 00:20:20,680 –> 00:20:23,060 is not to pursue dishonest gain. 443 00:20:23,900 –> 00:20:26,000 Now the most obvious evidence 444 00:20:26,000 –> 00:20:30,219 that a person is not a lover of money is what? 445 00:20:30,219 –> 00:20:34,000 That they will be generous as a giver of money. 446 00:20:34,000 –> 00:20:36,520 And therefore, this would be a normal mark 447 00:20:36,520 –> 00:20:40,520 of an effective Christian leader. 448 00:20:40,520 –> 00:20:42,680 Faithfulness in relation to marriage, 449 00:20:42,680 –> 00:20:45,420 faithfulness in relation to money. 450 00:20:45,420 –> 00:20:46,900 A Christian leader marked 451 00:20:46,900 –> 00:20:50,300 by sexual and financial integrity, 452 00:20:51,300 –> 00:20:54,099 reflecting the faithfulness of Christ, 453 00:20:54,099 –> 00:20:55,739 in his marriage 454 00:20:55,739 –> 00:20:58,459 and in his handling of whatever money 455 00:20:58,459 –> 00:21:00,619 the Lord trusts to him. 456 00:21:01,780 –> 00:21:03,459 Now let me just pause here for a moment 457 00:21:03,459 –> 00:21:07,020 and make an application again to all of us who are young. 458 00:21:07,020 –> 00:21:09,699 Once speak to all the middle schoolers 459 00:21:09,699 –> 00:21:14,560 and all the high schoolers in the congregation today. 460 00:21:15,520 –> 00:21:19,140 Set your heart early, 461 00:21:19,140 –> 00:21:20,380 if you’re a guy, 462 00:21:21,479 –> 00:21:25,199 on being a one woman man. 463 00:21:26,680 –> 00:21:28,660 And girls, set your heart early 464 00:21:30,579 –> 00:21:33,680 on being a one man woman. 465 00:21:35,439 –> 00:21:39,640 Make a covenant with God about that 466 00:21:39,640 –> 00:21:42,599 when you’re in middle school or when you’re in high school. 467 00:21:44,760 –> 00:21:47,319 And here’s what’s gonna happen. 468 00:21:47,319 –> 00:21:48,560 As you move through middle school, 469 00:21:48,560 –> 00:21:49,839 as you move through high school, 470 00:21:49,839 –> 00:21:51,439 here’s what you’re going to see. 471 00:21:51,439 –> 00:21:55,160 You’re going to see other people who will flirt 472 00:21:55,160 –> 00:21:58,319 with as many people as they possibly can. 473 00:21:59,339 –> 00:22:01,040 And you know what will happen to them? 474 00:22:01,040 –> 00:22:05,760 The more they flirt, the shallower they will become. 475 00:22:07,160 –> 00:22:10,400 And the more they cultivate flirtatiousness 476 00:22:10,400 –> 00:22:13,479 before marriage, the harder it will be 477 00:22:13,479 –> 00:22:17,119 for them to be faithful in marriage. 478 00:22:18,180 –> 00:22:19,540 That’s the reality, folks. 479 00:22:21,040 –> 00:22:26,040 So set your heart on the kind of faithfulness 480 00:22:26,760 –> 00:22:30,579 that will maximize your usefulness to Jesus Christ. 481 00:22:32,760 –> 00:22:36,160 And set your heart on the same with regards to your money. 482 00:22:36,160 –> 00:22:37,420 You say, well, I’ve hardly got any. 483 00:22:37,420 –> 00:22:39,760 Well, you got some, you got some pocket money. 484 00:22:40,079 –> 00:22:45,079 So don’t waste it and don’t hoard it. 485 00:22:47,119 –> 00:22:51,939 Save well, spend well, give well. 486 00:22:52,880 –> 00:22:55,719 And if you learn that in your middle school years 487 00:22:55,719 –> 00:22:58,119 and your teenage years and your high school years 488 00:22:58,119 –> 00:23:02,280 and in your college years, you will be on a track 489 00:23:02,280 –> 00:23:04,859 that is part of what will position you 490 00:23:04,859 –> 00:23:07,900 to increase your usefulness to Jesus Christ 491 00:23:07,900 –> 00:23:09,260 throughout your adult life. 492 00:23:10,760 –> 00:23:12,660 Now notice here before we move on 493 00:23:12,660 –> 00:23:15,380 that this character that we’re looking at here, 494 00:23:15,380 –> 00:23:17,540 wise judgment and healthy relationships 495 00:23:17,540 –> 00:23:19,219 and moral integrity. 496 00:23:19,219 –> 00:23:23,099 It is both private and public. 497 00:23:23,099 –> 00:23:25,160 Have you heard it said character, 498 00:23:25,160 –> 00:23:28,000 oh character is what you are in private. 499 00:23:28,859 –> 00:23:31,560 Well that’s only half the story. 500 00:23:31,560 –> 00:23:34,000 And the Apostle Paul makes it clear here 501 00:23:34,000 –> 00:23:36,520 that character is what is seen in public 502 00:23:36,520 –> 00:23:39,540 as well as what a man may claim in private. 503 00:23:39,579 –> 00:23:40,859 That’s why it says in verse two 504 00:23:40,859 –> 00:23:43,500 the overseer has to be above reproach 505 00:23:43,500 –> 00:23:45,180 and verse seven has to have 506 00:23:45,180 –> 00:23:48,380 a good reputation with outsiders. 507 00:23:48,380 –> 00:23:50,020 In other words, the key thing here 508 00:23:50,020 –> 00:23:52,579 is not a man’s pious talk about all his prayers 509 00:23:52,579 –> 00:23:54,619 and all his devotions and all this kind of thing. 510 00:23:54,619 –> 00:23:56,459 Beyond that there’s the question 511 00:23:56,459 –> 00:23:59,160 what do people see in this man’s life? 512 00:24:00,140 –> 00:24:03,119 What’s the observable reality of his character? 513 00:24:04,099 –> 00:24:05,180 That’s the question. 514 00:24:06,040 –> 00:24:07,339 Can you see wise judgment? 515 00:24:07,339 –> 00:24:09,619 Do you see healthy relationship? 516 00:24:09,619 –> 00:24:13,160 Do you see moral integrity? 517 00:24:14,739 –> 00:24:16,020 Now that’s character. 518 00:24:17,099 –> 00:24:18,400 It’s what we’re to pursue. 519 00:24:18,400 –> 00:24:21,140 It’s what by the grace of God we’re to cultivate. 520 00:24:22,020 –> 00:24:24,579 It’s what Christ wants to work in every one of us. 521 00:24:24,579 –> 00:24:29,579 Wise judgment, healthy relationships, moral integrity. 522 00:24:31,439 –> 00:24:33,219 Now let’s move on to competence 523 00:24:33,219 –> 00:24:34,800 because there’s more than character 524 00:24:34,800 –> 00:24:36,979 involved in effective leadership. 525 00:24:37,640 –> 00:24:40,500 And it seems to me that Paul lays out for us here 526 00:24:40,500 –> 00:24:44,280 three areas of core competence 527 00:24:44,280 –> 00:24:47,459 that we should look for in those we call, 528 00:24:47,459 –> 00:24:49,540 those we appoint, and those we send. 529 00:24:50,599 –> 00:24:53,300 They are the core competencies 530 00:24:53,300 –> 00:24:57,099 of effective Christian leaders. 531 00:24:57,099 –> 00:24:58,260 And there are three of them. 532 00:24:58,260 –> 00:25:00,420 One is doctrinal, one is personal, 533 00:25:00,420 –> 00:25:02,160 and one is spiritual. 534 00:25:03,420 –> 00:25:04,660 I want to encourage all of us 535 00:25:04,660 –> 00:25:06,260 to be cultivating these things 536 00:25:06,339 –> 00:25:09,619 that will maximize our usefulness to Jesus Christ. 537 00:25:10,619 –> 00:25:13,979 Let’s look first at the doctrinal competence. 538 00:25:13,979 –> 00:25:17,140 That is the ability to teach. 539 00:25:17,140 –> 00:25:19,180 It said of the elders that the overseer 540 00:25:19,180 –> 00:25:22,699 must be, verse two, able to teach. 541 00:25:22,699 –> 00:25:24,060 Notice that for the deacons, 542 00:25:24,060 –> 00:25:26,140 although they are not called to a teaching ministry, 543 00:25:26,140 –> 00:25:28,880 verse nine, they must keep hold 544 00:25:28,880 –> 00:25:31,660 of the deep truths of the faith 545 00:25:31,660 –> 00:25:34,420 with a clear conscience. 546 00:25:34,420 –> 00:25:38,260 So really across these different leadership roles, 547 00:25:38,260 –> 00:25:41,319 Paul is saying that a deep grasp of the truth 548 00:25:41,319 –> 00:25:45,099 and the ability to communicate it to others is crucial. 549 00:25:46,000 –> 00:25:50,140 Now this does not mean that all elders should be preachers. 550 00:25:50,140 –> 00:25:52,319 What it does mean is that the elder, 551 00:25:52,319 –> 0:25:54,180 the pastor, the missionary, 552 00:25:54,180 –> 00:25:57,339 those who would serve in any form of leadership 553 00:25:57,339 –> 00:26:01,099 must have a deep grasp of the truth 554 00:26:01,099 –> 00:26:04,260 and an ability both to apply it to their own lives 555 00:26:04,260 –> 00:26:07,719 and to the lives of others. 556 00:26:07,719 –> 00:26:08,939 Now this is very important, 557 00:26:08,939 –> 00:26:10,540 because of course in verse 15, 558 00:26:10,540 –> 00:26:13,099 the church is the pillar of the truth. 559 00:26:14,300 –> 00:26:18,160 It says the church is the pillar and foundation 560 00:26:18,160 –> 00:26:19,839 is a terrible translation in the NIV, 561 00:26:19,839 –> 00:26:22,540 it really is buttress, it means the same as pillar. 562 00:26:22,540 –> 00:26:25,180 It’s what holds up the truth. 563 00:26:25,180 –> 00:26:26,839 That’s what’s being said here. 564 00:26:26,839 –> 00:26:28,839 And because it is the calling of the church 565 00:26:28,839 –> 00:26:33,540 like a pillar to hold up the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ, 566 00:26:33,540 –> 00:26:36,579 it stands to reason that those who are elders of the church 567 00:26:36,579 –> 00:26:40,540 need to have a particularly strong and clear grasp 568 00:26:40,540 –> 00:26:44,140 of the great truths of the Christian faith. 569 00:26:45,060 –> 00:26:47,660 It is the special calling of elders and pastors then 570 00:26:47,660 –> 00:26:49,660 to make sure that the word of Christ 571 00:26:49,660 –> 00:26:52,640 is central in the life of the church. 572 00:26:52,640 –> 00:26:55,540 So the word of Christ must well richly 573 00:26:56,420 –> 00:26:58,500 in the life of any missionary, 574 00:26:58,500 –> 00:27:01,060 in the life of any pastor, in the life of any elder, 575 00:27:01,140 –> 00:27:04,380 in the life of any person who wants to be useful to Christ. 576 00:27:04,380 –> 00:27:05,619 Cultivate this. 577 00:27:05,619 –> 00:27:08,640 If you’re the kind of person who said 578 00:27:08,640 –> 00:27:11,180 oh I’m not interested in doctrine. 579 00:27:11,180 –> 00:27:13,099 Ever heard anyone say that? 580 00:27:13,099 –> 00:27:15,819 Aw that’s not for me. 581 00:27:15,819 –> 00:27:17,520 Do you know what you just did? 582 00:27:17,520 –> 00:27:20,459 You just severely limited 583 00:27:20,459 –> 00:27:23,339 your own usefulness to Jesus Christ. 584 00:27:23,339 –> 00:27:26,140 So please don’t say that anymore. 585 00:27:26,140 –> 00:27:28,900 Please take an interest, cultivate an interest 586 00:27:28,900 –> 00:27:31,359 in grasping ever more deeply 587 00:27:31,359 –> 00:27:34,439 the great truths of the Christian faith 588 00:27:35,380 –> 00:27:37,280 so that you may be able to defend them 589 00:27:37,280 –> 00:27:41,160 so that you may be able to communicate them to others. 590 00:27:41,160 –> 00:27:42,900 For if you do not grasp them well 591 00:27:42,900 –> 00:27:46,119 how can you be useful in leadership to others? 592 00:27:47,619 –> 00:27:50,479 So there’s a doctrinal competence for us to pursue. 593 00:27:51,599 –> 00:27:54,160 Second there is a personal competence 594 00:27:54,160 –> 00:27:55,560 for us to pursue 595 00:27:55,839 –> 00:28:00,140 and this relates to the ability to manage. 596 00:28:00,140 –> 00:28:03,260 Notice it comes three times in verse four, five and 12. 597 00:28:04,500 –> 00:28:09,239 The elder must manage his own family well. 598 00:28:10,239 –> 00:28:12,119 Verse five, if anyone does not know 599 00:28:12,119 –> 00:28:14,939 how to manage his own family 600 00:28:14,939 –> 00:28:17,959 how can he take care of God’s church? 601 00:28:17,959 –> 00:28:21,939 Verse 12, a deacon must manage his children 602 00:28:21,939 –> 00:28:23,560 and his household well. 603 00:28:23,560 –> 00:28:24,640 So it comes three times. 604 00:28:24,780 –> 00:28:27,500 It’s obviously of great importance. 605 00:28:28,520 –> 00:28:30,079 The point here is very simple. 606 00:28:31,239 –> 00:28:36,239 A man’s ability to lead others will be seen first 607 00:28:36,680 –> 00:28:40,199 in the way that he leads and manages his own family. 608 00:28:41,420 –> 00:28:43,699 Now, every home has its own pressures 609 00:28:43,699 –> 00:28:45,579 and its own problems. 610 00:28:45,579 –> 00:28:47,760 And this is not saying that if there is stress 611 00:28:47,760 –> 00:28:50,020 in a man’s life that he should not be 612 00:28:50,020 –> 00:28:52,599 a pastor or an elder. 613 00:28:52,640 –> 00:28:54,839 The key issue that is being addressed here 614 00:28:54,839 –> 00:28:58,719 is how does a man manage his own household? 615 00:28:58,719 –> 00:29:02,079 How does he exercise leadership there? 616 00:29:02,079 –> 00:29:04,060 And if he’s doing a good job there 617 00:29:04,060 –> 00:29:05,520 then it makes sense that he should 618 00:29:05,520 –> 00:29:07,520 be given wider responsibility. 619 00:29:07,520 –> 00:29:10,239 If he’s struggling in what God has given him there 620 00:29:10,239 –> 00:29:11,839 it does not make sense that he should 621 00:29:11,839 –> 00:29:13,839 be given wider responsibility. 622 00:29:14,880 –> 00:29:17,280 So how does he manage his own household? 623 00:29:18,199 –> 00:29:21,900 Is there order in his home? 624 00:29:22,900 –> 00:29:24,619 Or is it chaotic? 625 00:29:25,900 –> 00:29:27,239 You know one of the first things we learn 626 00:29:27,239 –> 00:29:29,000 about God in the Bible is that he is 627 00:29:29,000 –> 00:29:33,000 the God who brings order out of chaos. 628 00:29:34,500 –> 00:29:36,439 And an effective leader is one who 629 00:29:36,439 –> 00:29:39,819 has the ability to do that as well. 630 00:29:39,819 –> 00:29:42,160 And the first place that that will be seen 631 00:29:42,160 –> 00:29:44,199 in a man’s life is in his own home. 632 00:29:44,199 –> 00:29:47,119 And Paul’s rationale here is very plain isn’t it? 633 00:29:47,119 –> 00:29:49,339 If a man cannot bring order to his own home 634 00:29:49,339 –> 00:29:51,920 how is he going to be able to do it in the church of God? 635 00:29:51,920 –> 00:29:53,859 If he cannot manage his own life 636 00:29:55,420 –> 00:29:58,500 how can he help in the lives of others? 637 00:29:58,500 –> 00:30:00,579 Let me just break away and give an application to the kids, 638 00:30:00,579 –> 00:30:03,859 especially the younger kids in the service here. 639 00:30:03,859 –> 00:30:07,459 If your bedroom that you left behind 640 00:30:07,459 –> 00:30:12,459 this morning is a tip, do you know what I mean by that? 641 00:30:13,060 –> 00:30:15,819 Chaos, everything everywhere. 642 00:30:16,699 –> 00:30:20,640 And if you were to go back and this afternoon 643 00:30:21,599 –> 00:30:26,359 make it tidied and ordered, do you know what? 644 00:30:26,359 –> 00:30:31,219 You would be doing something that God does. 645 00:30:31,219 –> 00:30:33,599 You would, because God is the God 646 00:30:33,599 –> 00:30:38,199 who brings order out of chaos. 647 00:30:38,199 –> 00:30:40,079 And the more you learn to do that in your own life 648 00:30:40,079 –> 00:30:41,880 and the earlier you learn to do that 649 00:30:41,880 –> 00:30:43,280 in the simplest kind of ways, 650 00:30:43,280 –> 00:30:45,660 the more useful you’re gonna be to the Lord Jesus Christ, 651 00:30:45,660 –> 00:30:48,000 that’s the principle right here. 652 00:30:48,000 –> 00:30:51,180 By the way, I do think this is where hospitality comes in. 653 00:30:51,180 –> 00:30:53,099 Did you notice that in verse two, 654 00:30:53,099 –> 00:30:55,400 as one of the marks of the elder? 655 00:30:55,400 –> 00:30:58,579 I think it comes in here because 656 00:30:58,579 –> 00:31:03,579 the home that is disordered is usually closed to others. 657 00:31:04,239 –> 00:31:05,959 It becomes a secret place. 658 00:31:07,300 –> 00:31:10,979 The door is closed, others are not often welcome. 659 00:31:12,579 –> 00:31:15,859 But when a home in a family is well managed 660 00:31:15,859 –> 00:31:20,859 and healthy and ordered, the door is opened to others 661 00:31:21,079 –> 00:31:23,680 and others can be welcomed in. 662 00:31:25,060 –> 00:31:27,079 So, what Paul is saying is very simple here. 663 00:31:27,079 –> 00:31:29,599 The man who will be effective in leading the church 664 00:31:29,599 –> 00:31:31,719 as a pastor or as an elder, 665 00:31:31,719 –> 00:31:35,479 the person who will be effective on the mission field 666 00:31:35,479 –> 00:31:37,319 will be someone who manages 667 00:31:37,319 –> 00:31:40,119 what God has already trusted to them well. 668 00:31:40,119 –> 00:31:42,359 So the kind of questions we want to ask 669 00:31:42,540 –> 00:31:46,800 and evaluating what trust should be given by the church 670 00:31:46,800 –> 00:31:48,880 in those who are called and those who are sent 671 00:31:48,880 –> 00:31:50,099 are questions like these. 672 00:31:50,099 –> 00:31:53,439 Has this person managed their finances well? 673 00:31:53,439 –> 00:31:55,719 Is that in order or is it chaotic? 674 00:31:56,680 –> 00:31:58,680 Is the home well ordered? 675 00:31:59,660 –> 00:32:01,579 Do the children, if there are children, 676 00:32:01,579 –> 00:32:03,780 respect this man well. 677 00:32:04,800 –> 00:32:06,619 The order is very simple. 678 00:32:07,579 –> 00:32:12,319 We begin with the challenge to manage ourselves. 679 00:32:13,619 –> 00:32:16,719 As you grow in the challenge of managing yourself, 680 00:32:16,719 –> 00:32:20,579 you will do a better job of managing others 681 00:32:20,579 –> 00:32:21,979 God has placed around you. 682 00:32:21,979 –> 00:32:24,680 That may include your family if you’re married. 683 00:32:24,680 –> 00:32:27,339 And as you build success there, 684 00:32:27,339 –> 00:32:32,339 you will grow in your future usefulness to Jesus Christ. 685 00:32:33,439 –> 00:32:35,800 But the principle is simple. 686 00:32:35,800 –> 00:32:39,380 The one who is faithful in little 687 00:32:39,380 –> 00:32:44,180 is the one who can then be trusted with much. 688 00:32:45,280 –> 00:32:47,760 So seek to be faithful and little. 689 00:32:47,760 –> 00:32:51,939 And before we move on to the last of these competencies, 690 00:32:51,939 –> 00:32:54,599 is that a word, competencies, 691 00:32:56,119 –> 00:32:59,459 let me just say a word to the wives 692 00:32:59,459 –> 00:33:01,819 of those who serve in leadership. 693 00:33:02,680 –> 00:33:05,459 I say this because Paul does it in verse 11. 694 00:33:05,459 –> 00:33:06,339 Do you see that there? 695 00:33:06,339 –> 00:33:09,420 He’s talked about elders and he’s talked about deacons 696 00:33:09,420 –> 00:33:11,900 and he says, in the same way, 697 00:33:11,900 –> 00:33:16,900 their wives are to be women worthy of respect, 698 00:33:17,180 –> 00:33:20,599 not malicious talkers but temperate 699 00:33:20,599 –> 00:33:23,920 and trustworthy in everything. 700 00:33:24,819 –> 00:33:26,780 Now why does he bring in the wives here? 701 00:33:28,219 –> 00:33:29,880 I think the answer’s very simple, 702 00:33:30,839 –> 00:33:35,839 a man’s wife can make or mar his ministry, 703 00:33:41,599 –> 00:33:43,900 can I speak to all the Christian wives today? 704 00:33:46,300 –> 00:33:51,300 Make it your prayer that you will expand 705 00:33:51,359 –> 00:33:54,439 your husband’s usefulness to Christ, 706 00:33:56,800 –> 00:33:59,520 if he is a godly man he’ll already be praying 707 00:33:59,579 –> 00:34:01,020 the same thing about you. 708 00:34:03,160 –> 00:34:06,479 Cultivate a deep desire that your husband 709 00:34:06,479 –> 00:34:09,179 should become everything that God calls him to be. 710 00:34:11,399 –> 00:34:14,719 And do everything you can to contribute to that. 711 00:34:15,840 –> 00:34:20,719 And be ready to change any pattern of behavior 712 00:34:20,719 –> 00:34:24,320 in you that would limit that, 713 00:34:24,320 –> 00:34:27,159 that would limit the work that God might do through him. 714 00:34:28,080 –> 00:34:30,600 So here is what to cultivate. 715 00:34:30,600 –> 00:34:32,399 These are very practical things. 716 00:34:32,399 –> 00:34:36,120 A doctrinal competence, the ability to teach, 717 00:34:36,120 –> 00:34:39,500 a great grasp of the truths of the faith. 718 00:34:40,639 –> 00:34:44,120 A personal competence, the ability to manage, 719 00:34:44,120 –> 00:34:45,540 beginning with yourself and then 720 00:34:45,540 –> 00:34:47,320 with others who are trusted to you, 721 00:34:47,320 –> 00:34:49,320 and the more you are able to grow in that, 722 00:34:49,320 –> 00:34:52,179 the more useful you will be in the lives of others. 723 00:34:53,800 –> 00:34:55,120 And then, thirdly and finally, 724 00:34:55,159 –> 00:34:57,679 there’s a spiritual competence, 725 00:34:57,679 –> 00:35:00,979 which is about the ability to stand. 726 00:35:00,979 –> 00:35:03,120 The reason for this is very simple. 727 00:35:03,120 –> 00:35:05,959 Folks, when we call a lay person to be an elder, 728 00:35:06,919 –> 00:35:09,500 when we send a missionary out into the field, 729 00:35:09,500 –> 00:35:11,239 when we call and invite someone 730 00:35:11,239 –> 00:35:13,199 to be a pastor of the church here, 731 00:35:13,199 –> 00:35:15,800 when we put someone into Christian leadership, 732 00:35:15,800 –> 00:35:17,840 and it’s the congregation that does that, 733 00:35:19,139 –> 00:35:22,280 we are putting that person 734 00:35:22,280 –> 00:35:25,000 in the forefront of spiritual warfare. 735 00:35:25,600 –> 00:35:26,439 Do you realize that? 736 00:35:26,439 –> 00:35:28,280 That is what we are doing 737 00:35:28,280 –> 00:35:30,600 when we call someone to spiritual leadership. 738 00:35:31,560 –> 00:35:35,040 That’s why prayer for our leaders 739 00:35:35,040 –> 00:35:37,739 is of crucial importance. 740 00:35:37,739 –> 00:35:41,699 I want us to understand that as a congregation today. 741 00:35:41,699 –> 00:35:44,639 Now I want you to notice the spiritual competence 742 00:35:44,639 –> 00:35:46,399 that is needed in those who lead 743 00:35:46,399 –> 00:35:49,379 because they are placed into 744 00:35:49,379 –> 00:35:51,679 the forefront of the spiritual battle 745 00:35:51,679 –> 00:35:53,800 and there are two primary places 746 00:35:53,800 –> 00:35:56,120 in which that warfare is most intense. 747 00:35:56,120 –> 00:35:57,639 Paul identifies them. 748 00:35:57,639 –> 00:36:00,239 The first is the danger for spiritual leaders 749 00:36:00,239 –> 00:36:02,639 that comes through pride. 750 00:36:02,639 –> 00:36:04,600 That is verse six. 751 00:36:04,600 –> 00:36:06,040 Paul says that the leader here 752 00:36:06,040 –> 00:36:08,479 must not be a recent convert 753 00:36:08,479 –> 00:36:10,179 or he may become conceited 754 00:36:10,179 –> 00:36:12,600 and fall under the same judgment as the devil. 755 00:36:14,159 –> 00:36:15,879 Pride is the enemy within. 756 00:36:17,000 –> 00:36:18,679 If God grants you some success, 757 00:36:18,679 –> 00:36:19,919 some blessing on your family, 758 00:36:19,919 –> 00:36:22,199 do you know how to handle that with humility? 759 00:36:23,139 –> 00:36:26,580 Because to maximize your usefulness to Jesus Christ, 760 00:36:26,580 –> 00:36:28,699 pride is going to be one of the enemies 761 00:36:28,699 –> 00:36:30,000 you will need to battle. 762 00:36:30,000 –> 00:36:31,280 The more he uses you, 763 00:36:31,280 –> 00:36:33,080 the more he’ll attack you with this. 764 00:36:35,199 –> 00:36:36,459 And you remember the phrase. 765 00:36:36,459 –> 00:36:37,879 It actually comes from the Bible 766 00:36:37,879 –> 00:36:40,879 in Proverbs chapter 11 and verse two. 767 00:36:40,879 –> 00:36:44,600 Pride comes before a fall. 768 00:36:44,600 –> 00:36:46,199 And do you notice the connection there 769 00:36:46,199 –> 00:36:47,760 between verse six and verse seven? 770 00:36:47,760 –> 00:36:50,340 He talks about pride which is the enemy within 771 00:36:50,340 –> 00:36:52,419 and what comes next in verse seven? 772 00:36:52,419 –> 00:36:54,399 He must have a good reputation with outsiders 773 00:36:54,399 –> 00:36:57,760 so that he will not fall into disgrace 774 00:36:58,780 –> 00:37:01,060 and into the devil’s trap. 775 00:37:01,060 –> 00:37:03,280 Notice how Satan is being mentioned twice 776 00:37:03,280 –> 00:37:04,939 in two verses here. 777 00:37:04,939 –> 00:37:06,899 This is spiritual warfare. 778 00:37:06,899 –> 00:37:11,080 Satan delights when leaders become full of themselves 779 00:37:11,080 –> 00:37:14,719 because they’re just one step away from a fall to disaster. 780 00:37:14,719 –> 00:37:16,419 That’s what is being said here. 781 00:37:16,419 –> 00:37:19,419 And Satan delights when leaders fall. 782 00:37:19,560 –> 00:37:21,939 He wants them to fall into disgrace 783 00:37:21,939 –> 00:37:24,120 so that he can harm the church. 784 00:37:24,979 –> 00:37:26,659 So by the way, in appointing leaders, 785 00:37:26,659 –> 00:37:28,719 it is always right to ask 786 00:37:28,719 –> 00:37:31,239 is there anything in your life 787 00:37:32,100 –> 00:37:34,280 that if it was known, 788 00:37:34,280 –> 00:37:37,020 would hinder the advance of the gospel? 789 00:37:38,939 –> 00:37:41,439 Richard Baxter wrote a book to Christian leaders. 790 00:37:41,439 –> 00:37:45,060 I try to read it about once every year. 791 00:37:46,659 –> 00:37:48,620 It does my own soul good, 792 00:37:49,419 –> 00:37:52,800 it’s one pastor writing to other Christian leaders 793 00:37:52,800 –> 00:37:56,179 and giving warnings and encouragement 794 00:37:56,179 –> 00:37:59,320 about what it means to be a Christian leader. 795 00:37:59,320 –> 00:38:01,560 And he has a particularly powerful section 796 00:38:01,560 –> 00:38:03,340 where he talks about the unique battles 797 00:38:03,340 –> 00:38:05,379 of Christian leaders. 798 00:38:05,379 –> 00:38:08,100 And he says this, he’s writing to fellow pastors 799 00:38:08,100 –> 00:38:11,060 and we would include with that our missionaries, 800 00:38:11,060 –> 00:38:13,100 we would include with that our lay leaders, 801 00:38:13,100 –> 00:38:15,699 we would include all who are entrusted 802 00:38:15,699 –> 00:38:18,500 with responsibility in a household of God. 803 00:38:19,580 –> 00:38:22,860 Baxter says this, take heed to yourselves 804 00:38:23,899 –> 00:38:28,899 because the tempter will ply you with temptations 805 00:38:29,219 –> 00:38:31,280 more than other men. 806 00:38:32,879 –> 00:38:35,040 Have you ever thought about that 807 00:38:35,040 –> 00:38:37,379 in relation to those we call and those we send? 808 00:38:39,500 –> 00:38:43,379 As he hates Christ more than any of us, Baxter says, 809 00:38:43,379 –> 00:38:45,899 so Satan hates the leaders under him 810 00:38:45,899 –> 00:38:47,500 more than the common soldiers 811 00:38:47,520 –> 00:38:51,699 because he knows what a route he may make among them 812 00:38:51,699 –> 00:38:54,060 if the leaders fall before their eyes. 813 00:38:55,959 –> 00:38:58,379 Take heed therefore, brethren, 814 00:38:59,260 –> 00:39:04,260 for the enemy hath a special eye on you. 815 00:39:06,260 –> 00:39:08,459 Have you ever thought about that in relation to yourself? 816 00:39:08,459 –> 00:39:13,459 The day you were converted, you got Satan’s attention 817 00:39:14,340 –> 00:39:15,959 because you were snatched out of his kingdom 818 00:39:15,959 –> 00:39:17,939 by the redeeming love of Jesus Christ. 819 00:39:18,899 –> 00:39:20,540 He got a special eye on you. 820 00:39:22,360 –> 00:39:25,679 And the more you are trusted with responsibility 821 00:39:25,679 –> 00:39:28,340 and ministry in the household of God, 822 00:39:28,340 –> 00:39:31,560 the more you are privileged with the gift of leadership 823 00:39:31,560 –> 00:39:33,479 and influence in the lives of others, 824 00:39:33,479 –> 00:39:35,800 the more you will be his focus of attention. 825 00:39:38,159 –> 00:39:40,399 Folks, will you remember that 826 00:39:41,919 –> 00:39:44,540 when you pray for your leaders? 827 00:39:46,199 –> 00:39:49,899 Can we remember that when we pray for our missionaries? 828 00:39:51,760 –> 00:39:53,760 Can we remember that when we sometimes 829 00:39:53,760 –> 00:39:55,719 talk about our leaders? 830 00:39:57,620 –> 00:40:00,419 We have put certain people in the forefront 831 00:40:00,419 –> 00:40:02,179 of spiritual warfare. 832 00:40:03,739 –> 00:40:06,120 And it is our calling to pray for them. 833 00:40:08,000 –> 00:40:12,699 And it is our calling to watch and to guard ourselves. 834 00:40:13,580 –> 00:40:15,419 Now what’s your reaction to this message? 835 00:40:15,419 –> 00:40:18,100 I’ll tell you mine it’s been as I’ve studied it this week. 836 00:40:18,100 –> 00:40:19,580 I’m sure yours is the same. 837 00:40:20,919 –> 00:40:24,300 Read all this, and I find myself saying 838 00:40:24,300 –> 00:40:28,060 oh Lord, who is sufficient for these things? 839 00:40:29,719 –> 00:40:30,879 You might be interested to know 840 00:40:30,879 –> 00:40:34,800 as we meet at a church board month by month. 841 00:40:35,899 –> 00:40:37,739 And I lead us in prayer 842 00:40:37,739 –> 00:40:39,500 and in the Word at the beginning. 843 00:40:39,899 –> 00:40:41,399 In the Word at the beginning. 844 00:40:42,500 –> 00:40:44,060 I have often said, 845 00:40:45,100 –> 00:40:48,580 which of us round this table would have appointed ourselves 846 00:40:49,459 –> 00:40:50,580 as leaders of the church? 847 00:40:50,580 –> 00:40:51,800 Not one of us. 848 00:40:53,340 –> 00:40:55,540 We’ve been thrust into this by others. 849 00:40:56,919 –> 00:40:59,540 And anyone who is called to a position of leadership 850 00:40:59,540 –> 00:41:02,000 is going to be in that position of saying 851 00:41:02,000 –> 00:41:04,959 who is sufficient for these things? 852 00:41:04,959 –> 00:41:08,459 Remember Paul said, who is sufficient for these things? 853 00:41:08,459 –> 00:41:10,659 What was the answer when he raised that question? 854 00:41:10,659 –> 00:41:13,459 Our sufficiency is from? 855 00:41:13,459 –> 00:41:14,300 From God. 856 00:41:15,879 –> 00:41:18,560 That’s 2 Corinthians 3 in verse 5. 857 00:41:19,800 –> 00:41:21,060 It’s a great verse to write down 858 00:41:21,060 –> 00:41:22,979 for your encouragement this morning. 859 00:41:22,979 –> 00:41:26,060 In fact, the NIV uses the word competence 860 00:41:26,060 –> 00:41:28,459 rather than sufficiency which is very helpful. 861 00:41:29,620 –> 00:41:32,479 Not that we are competent in ourselves 862 00:41:32,479 –> 00:41:34,500 or claim anything for ourselves, 863 00:41:34,500 –> 00:41:39,500 but our competence comes from God. 864 00:41:39,500 –> 00:41:40,959 And so in this very last moment, 865 00:41:40,959 –> 00:41:44,659 let me conclude by pointing you to Jesus Christ, 866 00:41:44,659 –> 00:41:48,060 this character and this competence 867 00:41:48,060 –> 00:41:51,679 that we seek to cultivate is found in him. 868 00:41:52,620 –> 00:41:53,820 Have you ever thought about this, 869 00:41:53,820 –> 00:41:56,679 that the Lord Jesus Christ is the elder, 870 00:41:56,679 –> 00:41:58,479 he is the overseer? 871 00:41:58,479 –> 00:42:00,620 Did you know that word is used about Jesus? 872 00:42:00,620 –> 00:42:02,300 One Peter 2.25, 873 00:42:02,340 –> 00:42:05,459 he is the shepherd and overseer of our souls. 874 00:42:05,459 –> 00:42:07,840 The same word is in 1 Timothy 3. 875 00:42:07,840 –> 00:42:09,100 And if you ever thought about this, 876 00:42:09,100 –> 00:42:12,020 that the Lord Jesus Christ is the deacon. 877 00:42:13,060 –> 00:42:14,939 What does the word deacon mean? 878 00:42:14,939 –> 00:42:16,560 Servant. 879 00:42:16,560 –> 00:42:18,260 One who serves, that’s in Acts 6, 880 00:42:18,260 –> 00:42:21,020 remember they serve tables, the first deacons. 881 00:42:21,020 –> 00:42:21,979 And Jesus says, 882 00:42:21,979 –> 00:42:25,419 I have come among you as one who serves. 883 00:42:25,419 –> 00:42:27,500 I’ve come among you as a deacon, he says. 884 00:42:27,500 –> 00:42:29,679 I’ve not come to be served, but to serve. 885 00:42:29,719 –> 00:42:30,719 I’ve come to deacon, 886 00:42:30,719 –> 00:42:33,399 and to give my life as a ransom for many. 887 00:42:33,399 –> 00:42:36,679 So these things are making us think about Jesus Christ. 888 00:42:36,679 –> 00:42:39,719 He is the teacher who is Himself the truth. 889 00:42:39,719 –> 00:42:43,479 He is the King who manages His own household well. 890 00:42:43,479 –> 00:42:46,840 He is the sage who is the fount of all wisdom. 891 00:42:46,840 –> 00:42:50,080 He is the champion who takes his stand for us 892 00:42:50,080 –> 00:42:51,280 against the enemy. 893 00:42:51,280 –> 00:42:53,520 He is the servant who gives His life 894 00:42:53,520 –> 00:42:54,939 as a ransom for many. 895 00:42:54,939 –> 00:42:58,520 He is the overseer who guards your soul from danger. 896 00:42:58,580 –> 00:43:00,719 He is the great shepherd of the sheep 897 00:43:00,719 –> 00:43:03,800 who brings all of us into His eternal fold 898 00:43:03,800 –> 00:43:07,080 and loses not one who is trusted to His hand. 899 00:43:07,080 –> 00:43:12,080 And because this character and competence is in Christ, 900 00:43:14,239 –> 00:43:17,939 He is the one who is able to reproduce this character 901 00:43:18,800 –> 00:43:23,120 and reproduce this competence in you. 902 00:43:23,840 –> 00:43:27,379 For if Christ be in you, 903 00:43:29,139 –> 00:43:32,520 think what Christ can do with your life. 904 00:43:33,939 –> 00:43:36,439 Think what Christ can do with your family. 905 00:43:38,780 –> 00:43:40,820 Think what Christ can make of you. 906 00:43:40,820 –> 00:43:44,639 Think of what Christ can form within you. 907 00:43:47,199 –> 00:43:50,100 And as you give thanks for these marks of grace 908 00:43:50,100 –> 00:43:52,080 as you see them in the lives of others, 909 00:43:53,300 –> 00:43:58,300 be encouraged, as you seek to pursue them yourself, 910 00:44:00,379 –> 00:44:02,520 and to look to the Savior who is the source 911 00:44:02,520 –> 00:44:06,459 and fountain of them, to reproduce them in you 912 00:44:06,459 –> 00:44:10,060 by the power of his Holy Spirit. 913 00:44:10,060 –> 00:44:11,560 Let’s pray together, shall we? 914 00:44:12,419 –> 00:44:14,739 Father, make us the kind of people 915 00:44:14,739 –> 00:44:16,500 who will get your job done. 916 00:44:17,979 –> 00:44:20,780 Help us to pursue the character and competence 917 00:44:20,780 –> 00:44:22,979 of those who will be most useful to you. 918 00:44:25,100 –> 00:44:28,020 And thank you that what is not in us by nature 919 00:44:28,020 –> 00:44:30,419 is in Christ our Redeemer, 920 00:44:31,800 –> 00:44:36,419 and that his Spirit is given to us for this very purpose. 921 00:44:39,300 –> 00:44:41,000 Heighten our discernment, 922 00:44:42,459 –> 00:44:47,459 intensify and clarify our direction in our own lives, 923 00:44:47,979 –> 00:44:50,179 increase our passion to pursue those things 924 00:44:50,179 –> 00:44:52,459 that will make us most useful to you, 925 00:44:54,159 –> 00:44:56,500 and above all, help us to overflow with gratitude 926 00:44:56,500 –> 00:44:58,860 for your grace in the lives of others. 927 00:45:00,860 –> 00:45:04,120 These things we ask in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 928 00:45:05,580 –> 00:45:06,419 Amen.