Paul writes to Timothy about how a church should operate with respect to the qualifications of Elders and Deacons and of the trial to come.
1 Timothy 3: Qualifications for Overseers
1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God's church?
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.
Qualifications for Deacons
8 Deacons likewise must be dignified, not double-tongued, not addicted to much wine, not greedy for dishonest gain.
9 They must hold the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience.
10 And let them also be tested first; then let them serve as deacons if they prove themselves blameless.
11 Their wives likewise must be dignified, not slanderers, but sober-minded, faithful in all things.
12 Let deacons each be the husband of one wife, managing their children and their own households well.
13 For those who serve well as deacons gain a good standing for themselves and also great confidence in the faith that is in Christ Jesus.
The Mystery of Godliness
14 I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that,
15 if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.
16 Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.
1 Timothy 4: Some Will Depart from the Faith
1 Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,
2 through the insincerity of liars whose consciences are seared,
3 who forbid marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
4 For everything created by God is good, and nothing is to be rejected if it is received with thanksgiving,
5 for it is made holy by the word of God and prayer.
A Good Servant of Christ Jesus
6 If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, being trained in the words of the faith and of the good doctrine that you have followed.
7 Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness;
8 for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.
9 The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance.
10 For to this end we toil and strive, because we have our hope set on the living God, who is the Saviour of all people, especially of those who believe.
11 Command and teach these things.
12 Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.
13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching.
14 Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you.
15 Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.
16 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.
Things to think about…
1. The biblical qualifications for Elders and Deacons are listed in 1Tim 3:1-13. If you compare the qualifications, at the core, the only real difference is that elders must be ‘able to teach’, 1 Tim 3:2. As the roles of elder and deacon are leadership roles within the church Paul says that any man who desires to be in these roles must manage his household well, vss 4, 12. They must be men of integrity in what they say, do and believe. The roles of elder and deacon are primarily servant leadership positions within the church, hence it must be evident that the duties are carried out with grace and humility. Elders are called to have a good witness within the community, vs 7 and deacons must be tested first before serving, vs 10. I thank God for our leadership team at CBC, please pray for all those who serve in leadership that they do so with faithfulness, grace and joy. Please pray for our elders and Ministry Leaders (Deacons) as they serve at CBC.
2. Many churches have leadership boards, councils or committees. While I think these are fine, my question would be why implement something other than what the Lord has revealed to us in His word as to how he wants His church to be led. Paul makes the point to Timothy in 1Tim 3:15 that this is what is required “in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth”. Sounds like good advice to me. Leadership of churches whether they are Elders, Pastors, Overseers, Deacons (Ministry Leaders) are roles Paul says should be carried out by men. Men are called to lead in the church and in the home. The sad reality is that most churches place women in these roles. This denies them the ability to honour God through His revealed will – hence they become disobedient to the Word of God and the men are not given the opportunity to step into the roles that the Lord has called them into. Is it little wonder that in the modern church has an emotion generated and experience centred worship culture, rather than one that is based on the Word of God and holiness.
3. 1Tim 4 is one of those end times passages that as a pastor I find quite discouraging to read, especially the first two verses. They basically say that some who have professed faith will reject it and fall away. This is incredibly sad for someone who desires people to not only come to faith, but to be built up in the faith and remain in that condition. And yet here it is. Note that the ‘Spirit expressly says’…some will depart. This is not Paul’s idea. He may be recalling Daniel’s prophecy which also refers to the end times and the rule of the Anti-Christ, in Dan 8:25 “By his cunning he shall make deceit prosper under his hand”. Paul’s advice to the Corinthians is good for us also “let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall”, 1Cor 10:12.
4. Paul concludes the chapter by affirming the importance of right doctrine in all matters of faith and practise, 1Tim 4:6,7. He says to Timothy –“Command and teach these things”, vs 11. Let’s always be regulated by the word of God and always assess our personal preferences, previous religious experience or upbringing and simply ask ‘with respect to the scriptures – is it so?’ As a church we should never be ashamed of delving deeper into the word of God or seek to apply its truths. Paul’s advice to Timothy is timely for the 21st C church, ‘devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching’, vs 13. This is why we tend to read a chapter of scripture before the sermon on a Sunday to get some context before the message.
5. I often ask people what they believe is their spiritual gift. Paul says to Timothy not to neglect his gift, 1Tim 4:14. Timothy had a gift in teaching and needed to refine that gift through proper use and training. Using and refining our gift is essential. We are called to stir up one another in love and good works. What better way to do this than to encourage others to use their spiritual gifts within the church to edify and build up the body.
Vision statement for CBC
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
Life groups Wednesdays. 6:30pm every Wednesday. 5:30pm prayer.
Prayer Points
1. Pray for Ric as he begins this next phase of ministry and healing.
2. Pray for Phil and Anna Kennedy that healing, comfort, peace and rest may be their portion
3. Pray for the work we have going on with site development and TMR and the development of a project team.
4. Keep praying for PlayPatch on Fridays, pray for more families to be reached.
5. Pray for Chaplaincy and Kids Hope at Karalee State School.
6. Pray for peace over the US elections
7. The ongoing conflicts in Israel and Ukraine.
8. Church finances to continue to grow and expenses to be more than met.
9. Pray for Kids@Church, Life groups. Young Adults.
10. Mathys has a prayer time at church on Wednesday afternoons, 5:30pm at church. He would be happy for you to join him and to send prayer requests.
11. Pray about the possibility and planning of a Farmers Market at Chuwar Baptist Church once a month on Saturdays. Anastasia taking the lead on this. Pray for us as we plan
12. That we be bold in our witnessing for Christ. Pray for a heart to see those around you to be saved. Pray for the blessing over the new pastoral care and hosting program.
13. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to increase.
Praise Points
1. Praise God for Pastor Ric’s ministry over the past 12 months.
2. Praise God for a blessed business meeting, unity, grace and future projects.
3. The ministry of the word on Sunday and the kids ministry.
4. Praise God for young people stepping up in a number of ministries.
5. Church finances – Income has met expenses for the past few weeks.
6. Joy, peace and grace we see at CBC. Thankyou Lord
Announcements
1. Father’s Day celebration – Men to lead service. What’s great about your dad – this Sunday.
2. Baptisms 15th September morning service. Let Pr Jay know if you want to be baptised.
3. Men’s event. Conquering the Mount. Men’s racing. Fri 11th Oct@Church from 5:30pm. 16+. $10 each. Dress in team colours Red – Holden, Blue – Ford, Gold – Chevrolet. See Tim Freeman for more details.
4. Prayer meeting 5:30pm and Life Group Wednesday 6:30pm at church.
5. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
6. Tune in again this week on our YouTube page. Subscribe to the CBC channel Chuwar Baptist YouTube channel.
Catechism questions for August...
Q. 23. What is meant by transgression? A. Doing what God forbids.
