Passage I Timothy 3:1-13
\nOther passages Ephesians 4:11-13, Luke 8:14
\nBackground
\nSynopsis of the passage Qualifications for overseers and deacons
\nMessage Outline Leadership qualities are mostly about Maturity, which is goal for all.
\nWhat is maturity, and why is it important?
\nRequirements of an overseer #1 – Good reputation
\nQ: Small group discussion & sharing
\nDiscipleship
\nApplication Focus on Qualification: Beyond Reproach
\nTitle \u6210\u719f\u7684\u3068\u826f\u3044\u8a55\u5224 Mature and of good reputation
\n1 Tim 3:1 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he
\ndesires to do. 2 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate,
\nprudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle,
\npeaceable, free from the love of money. 4 He must be one who manages his own household well,
\nkeeping his children under control with all dignity 5 (but if a man does not know how to manage his own
\nhousehold, how will he take care of the church of God?), 6 and not a new convert, so that he will not
\nbecome conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 7 And he must have a good
\nreputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.
\n8 Deacons likewise must be men of dignity, not double-tongued, or addicted to much wine or fond of
\nsordid gain, 9 but holding to the mystery of the faith with a clear conscience. 10 These men must also
\nfirst be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach. 11 Women must likewise be
\ndignified, not malicious gossips, but temperate, faithful in all things. 12 Deacons must be husbands of
\nonly one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households. 13 For those who have
\nserved well as deacons obtain for themselves a high standing and great confidence in the faith that is in
\nChrist Jesus.
\n1. Introduction
\n\u25cf Pre-introduction
\n\u25cb I am going to try something different for a while, coming from recent training about
\ndiscipleship.
\n\u25a0 focusing away from 30 min lecture to a short lecture + small group discussion
\n\u25a0 to allow better engagement with the scriptures
\n\u25a0 to shift focus from to discipleship, putting what we learn into action
\n\u25cb So please quickly move into small groups.
\n\u25a0 For the first 10 min or so, I\u2019ll be speaking from the front, so you may want to turn
\nyour chairs around later.
\nOkay, now let\u2019s start.
\n\u25cf How good are you at being you?
\n\u25cb Are you able to use your abilities effectively?
\n\u25cb Do you have a positive influence on other people?
\n\u25cb Do people admire and trust you?
\n\u25cf We are looking in 1 Tim 3
\n\u25cb at the list of qualifications of leadership in the church
\n\u25cb given by Paul, the second most influential person in Western culture
\n\u25cf Today, we\u2019ll
\n\u25cb first set the stage by talking about maturity
\n\u25cb then dive into the first quality: having good reputation,and break into small groups to
\ndiscuss
\n2. Maturity
\n\u25cf In this chapter, Paul is telling Timothy the qualities that mark someone as a potential leader in the
\nchurch
\n\u25cb As we looked at them, we notice that these are mostly about character qualities of a
\nmature Christian
\n\u25cb So this also about maturity, not just for leaders, and applies to everyone.
\n\u25cb So before we talk about the first item in the list of qualities today, I\u2019d like to think together
\nabout maturity
\n\u25cf What is maturity?
\n\u25cb Maturity means to grow up into the fullness of who you are
\n\u25a0 If you are a seed, you grow into a plant, and produce fruit and seeds
\n\u25a0 If you are a baby, you grow up into an adult, and maybe have your own babies
\n\u25a0 And if you become a Christian, you should grow into a mature one.
\n\u25cf Okay, so what does it mean to be a mature Christian?
\n\u25cb First of all, we need to become a Christian.
\n\u25cb (As we learned 6 months or so ago in Romans 12), a Christian is:
\n\u25a0 Foreknown and chosen by God to be in relationship to Him
\n\u25a0 Is being transformed by the Holy Spirit
\n\u25a0 Is given gifts so that
\n\u25cf we can serve as members of the body of Christ which is the church,
\n\u25cf we can be a means of God\u2019s blessing to the world
\n\u25cb And of course, this is what God wants for every human being
\n\u25a0 To be in relationship to Him
\n\u25a0 To become a blessing
\n\u25cf The goal for Christians is maturity:
\n\u25cb First we must be born
\n\u25cb Then, we grow to become like Jesus, who is our model of maturity
\n\u25cb Jesus has given us what we need to become mature:
\n\u25a0 Ephesians 4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the
\nevangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of
\nservice, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity
\nin the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature,
\nattaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.
\n\u25a0 The process is then to be in community, growing up together in our faith and
\nknowledge of God
\n\u25cf as we serve one another with our gifts
\n\u25cf until we reach maturity together
\n\u25cb Jesus also warns us that we can fail to become mature. In Luke 8, the parable of seed
\nand sower:
\n\u25a0 Luke 8:14 The seed which fell among the thorns, these are the ones who
\nhave heard, and as they go on their way they are choked with worries and
\nriches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
\n\u25a0 We need to pay attention to this process of maturation and not get distracted
\n\u25cf But why should I become mature like that? What use is maturity?
\n\u25cb First of all, this is what God has designed us for, and becoming mature pleases God.
\n\u25cb Secondly, a mature person is able to fulfill his\/her role, and contribute in the full measure
\nof who s\/he is
\n\u25a0 If you are a teacher, maturity is required so you can teach well and demonstrate
\nwell
\n\u25a0 If you have the gift of helping others, maturity helps you to maximize your positive
\nimpact
\n\u25a0 Our maturity is necessary so others can receive the benefit and reach maturity
\n\u25a0 All the gifts are necessary to our mutual growth
\n\u25a0 Immaturity gets in the way of our using our gifts and fulfilling our role.
\n\u25cf Inability to control your emotions, your tongue;
\nBad attitudes of pride, independence, selfishness;
\netc.
\n\u25cf will prevent us from realizing our potential contribution, and the joy that
\ncomes from that.
\n\u25cf It is a very hard thing to find that immaturity has destroyed your chance of
\ndoing what you were created to do. I know this first hand, and maybe your
\ndo too.
\n\u25cb Secondly, a mature person is able to model to the immature what maturity looks like
\n\u25a0 People want to know how they will change if they choose to follow Jesus. They
\nwant to know what they are getting into.
\n\u25a0 Looking at mature Christians lets them know that it is going to be something good,
\nand gives them a model to which they can aspire.
\n\u25cf Maturity connects gifts with outcomes
\n\u25cb If we are going to realize the meaning of our lives, the reason why we were created, we
\nneed to pay attention to becoming mature
\n\u25a0 A plant grows into maturity or not, based on its environment
\n\u25a0 A kitten grows into a cat, naturally
\n\u25a0 But people need to make the choice to become mature.
\n3. Of Good Reputation
\n3.1. Introduction (3min: )
\n\u25cf So, we\u2019ve talked about maturity.
\nNow let\u2019s look at the first quality in 1 Tim 3 which expresses our maturity:
\n\u25cb Being \u201cbeyond reproach\u201c
\n\u25cb Or in other words, having a good reputation.
\n\u25cf Reputation
\n\u25cb Examples
\n\u25a0 He is reliable. She is an angry person.
\n\u25a0 He talks too much. She is clever.
\n\u25a0 He likes to be the center of attention. She is a serious person.
\n\u25a0 He is passionate. She is a drama queen.
\n\u25cb Reputation is the reflection in others eyes of your level of maturity
\n\u25a0 So it is the result of all the other things shown in 1 Tim 3.
\n\u25cb What other people think of us is a limitation on how much we can influence them.
\n\u25a0 If people don\u2019t think well of us, they won\u2019t let us use our gifts
\n\u25a0 Reputation is critical to effectiveness, especially in leadership.
\n\u25cf If people don\u2019t trust us, they won\u2019t follow us
\n\u25cb Reputation reflects our maturity level to the extent we are known
\n\u25a0 It is possible to have a good reputation without being mature
\n\u25cf We can fake it if our interactions with people are limited and superficial
\n\u25cf As time goes on, our real level of maturity tends to come out
\n\u25cf It takes time and exposure to build a reputation that people will really trust.
\n\u25cb We can judge our reputation by questions like:
\n\u25a0 Do people share their lives with me? Do people trust confidential information to
\nme?
\n\u25a0 Do my relationships with people grow deeper the longer they know me and the
\ncloser they get to me? Or do my friendships tend to become shallow and strained
\nover time?
\n\u25a0 Does my circle of friends get wider and wider? Do an increasing number of people
\nadmire and trust me?
\n\u25a0 Do people recommend me for significant or difficult tasks because they trust me to
\nget it done?
\n\u25cf Gospel reminder
\n\u25cb Remember that our growth is
\n\u25a0 a work of the Holy Spirit in us,
\n\u25a0 as we remain in relationship and grow closer to him.
\n\u25a0 as we learn to walk by faith in God\u2019s love for us and ability to change us
\n\u25cb So we are talking here about
\n\u25a0 evaluating various aspects of our character and people\u2019s perception of us,
\n\u25a0 so that we can bring these aspects before God and
\n\u25a0 ask him to help us grow in the areas he brings to mind.
\n3.2. Small Group time (20 min)
\n\u25cf Small group (w\/discipleship focus => practical goal and actions)
\n\u25cb What did you learn today?
\n\u25cb Discussion
\n\u25a0 Steps we can take to assess our reputation?
\n\u25a0 Are there areas where people have a false view of us? Without being defensive,
\ncan we correct that misperception?
\n\u25a0 Are there attitudes and actions in our lives now that hurt our reputation?
\n\u25a0 Are there steps we can take to improve our reputations in those areas, in the
\nmonth ahead?
\n\u25cb Share (optional)
\n\u25cb Pray
\n4. Closure (1 min)
\n\u25cf Everything we do is either positively or negatively affected by how mature we have become
\n\u25cf And our reputation, including our reputation for maturity, affects anything we do that involves
\nother people.
\n\u25cf I\u2019ll mention here that I am using a book \u2018The Measure of a Man: Twenty Attributes of a Godly
\nMan\u2019 which looks at 1 Timothy chapter 3, and to compliment that \u2018The Measure of a Woman:
\nWhat Really Makes a Woman Beautiful\u2019 on the book of Titus chapter 2, by the Getzes.
\n\u25cf So, as we go through each area Paul points out in this chapter, I hope that you are encouraged
\nand challenged to grow in specific ways.
\n\u25cf That is what I will attempt to do personally, and I invite you to do the same.
\nLet\u2019s pray<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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