Looking For Leaders

Follow Along with the Message

A Trustworthy Statement--pistos ho logos, "words to believe."

Five of them in the Pastoral Epistles (1 Timothy 1:15, 3:1, 4:8, 2 Timothy 2:11, Titus 3:8)

     "If any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is fine work he desires to do."--v. 1

Fine--kalos, good or noble

Work--ergos, effort, stress, cost, expenditure of energy

Church at work--"Pillar and support of the truth."--3:15

--GOD IS LOOKING FOR LEADERS

     "I looked for a man who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before Me for the land so that I would not destroy it, but I found no one."--Ezekiel 22:30

God looking for leaders, so Paul, too.   A missionary priority.

God's call in your life is SO MUCH BIGGER than self-care.

Timothy--overseer (manager, speaks of RESPONSIBILITY), elder (speaks of RESPECT), pastor (shepherd, speaks of RELATIONSHIP)

     "He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers."--Ephesians 4:11

 Go help!   "Valiant men whose hearts God had touched went with him."--1 Samuel 10:26

--LEADERS ARE LOOKING FOR GOD

Aspire--orego, ambition or passion

Desire--epithumia, epi--over, overwhelming, thumos--emotion, even anger.  Passionate rather than passive

People who DESIRE Him and His work!

--GOD IS LOOKING FOR SANCTIFIED LEADERS

     "An overseer, then, must be above reproach. . ."—3:1

     oun--conjunctive particle, therefore or as a consequence

Justification AND sanctification

     "Let them first be tested."--3:10, dokimazo, tested as genuine

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     "On this rock, I will build my church."--Matthew 16:18

You never had a better offer!  None of us have.