1 Timothy Lesson #4

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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
1TIMOTHY 1:11-17
LESSON #4
GENERAL CONCEPTS OF CHURCH LEADERSHIP

MEMORY VERSE: MATTHEW 20:27

• READ 1TIM 1:11-17
• IN OUR PAST LESSONS IN 1 TIMOTHY, WE HAVE LEARNED THAT THE PASTOR OF A CHURCH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR SOUND DOCTRINE WHICH SHOULD BRING PEOPLE TO THE KNOWLEDGE AND SAVING GRACE OF GOD.
• WE TALKED ABOUT GRACE AND THE IMPORTANCE OF A CHURCH POSSESSING THE GRACE OF GOD AS OPPOSED TO LEGALISM.
• THE GOSPEL IS A TREASURE GOD GAVE TO PAUL TO SHARE WITH OTHERS. (11-12)
• IN OTHER WORDS, PAUL CONSIDERS THE GOOD NEWS OF JESUS CHRIST SOMETHING GIVEN TO HIM BY GOD THAT IS LINKED TO HIS CALLING AS A PASTOR.
• WE HAVE ALSO SEEN IN OUR LESSONS THAT THIS GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST IS THE WORK OF GOD.
• THEREFORE, THE CALLING OF A PASTOR, THE WORK OF GOD, AND THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST ARE ALL LINKED TOGETHER.

• PRINCIPLE #6

A CHURCH SHOULD PREACH AND TEACH THE GOSPEL (GOOD NEWS) OF JESUS CHRIST.

• IN OTHER WORDS, THE CHURCH IS NOT A SOCIAL CLUB. YOU SHOULD SEE PEOPLE COMING TO SALVATION IN JESUS CHRIST.
• PAUL, A PASTOR, IS TALKING ABOUT HIMSELF TO TIMOTHY, A PASTOR. HOWEVER, THE WORD “MINISTRY” IN VERSE 12 IS THE SAME WORD AS “DEACON”.
• THEREFORE, EVERYTHING WE HAVE SAID ABOUT A PASTOR REALLY REFERS TO ALL BELIEVERS. WE ARE ALL:
• CALLED BY GOD TO SALVATION.
• CALLED TO DO THE WORK OF GOD.
• RESPONSIBLE TO KNOW AND SHARE CORRECT DOCTRINE.
• CALLED TO MINISTER TO THE NEEDS OF OTHER PEOPLE.
• CALLED TO SHARE THE GOSPEL OF SALVATION WITH OTHERS.
• ALL BELIEVERS ARE IN THE MINISTRY!
• THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT CONCEPT. MANY PEOPLE FEEL THAT THE WORK OF MINISTRY SHOULD BE DONE ONLY BY THE PASTOR.
• DISCUSSION: WHY IS THAT A WRONG IDEA?

• PRINCIPLE #7

A PASTOR MUST RECOGNIZE AND ALLOW THAT ALL BELIEVERS SHARE IN THE MINISTRY.

• THERE ARE PASTORS WHO VIOLATE THIS PRINCIPLE AND NEVER SEE THE MINISTRY OF THEIR CHURCH GROW BEYOND WHAT THEY PERSONALLY CAN HANDLE. A WISE PASTOR WILL RELEASE MATURE CHRISTIANS TO SHARE THE WORK OF THE MINISTRY SO AS TO REACH MORE PEOPLE.
• WHY DOES PAUL TELL TIMOTHY ABOUT HIMSELF IN THIS CHAPTER?
• BECAUSE THEY WERE FRIENDS, TIMOTHY KNEW ALL THESE THINGS ABOUT HOW HIS CLOSE FRIEND, PAUL, CAME TO KNOW THE LORD. PAUL ALWAYS SHARED HIS TESTIMONY EVERYWHERE HE WENT. SURELY TIMOTHY HEARD IT ALL BEFORE.
• THEREFORE, THERE MUST BE A VERY IMPORTANT LESSON TO LEARN FROM A REPETITION OF PAUL’S TESTIMONY.
• PAUL IS THE EXAMPLE OF A CHURCH LEADER. HE IS POINTING TO HIMSELF AND GOD’S GRACE TO SHOW US WHAT MAKES A GOOD LEADER.
• WHAT CHARACTERISTIC ABOUT PAUL, AS A CHURCH LEADER, DO YOU FIND THE MOST OBVIOUS IN THIS SECTION OF SCRIPTURE?
• HUMILITY. PAUL SAYS HE IS THE CHIEF OF SINNERS (15). HE DOES NOT SAY, “I WAS”.
• WHAT IS HUMILITY?
• IT IS A FREEDOM FROM PRIDE AND ARROGANCE.
• IT IS A MODEST ESTIMATION OF ONE’S WORTH.
• IT IS A DEEP SENSE OF ONE’S UNWORTHINESS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD.
• IT IS A RECOGNITION OF ONE’S SINFUL NATURE.
• IT IS A SUBMISSION TO THE WILL AND WORKING OF GOD IN YOUR LIFE.
• READ MAT 18:4 MAT 23:12 PHI 2:8 JAM 4:6 1PET 5:5-6

• PRINCIPLE #8

THE MOST IMPORTANT CHARACTERISTIC TO LOOK FOR IN ANY POTENTIAL LEADER IS HUMILITY

• WHY IS HUMILITY SO IMPORTANT?
• GOD CANNOT GUIDE AND USE A PERSON WHO IS FILLED WITH HIS OWN PRIDE.
• GOD DOES NOT GET THE GLORY WHEN A LEADER IS NOT HUMBLE.
• IS IT WRONG TO DESIRE TO BE A LEADER?
• YES AND NO.
• YES, IT IS WRONG TO DESIRE A POSITION FOR THE PURPOSE OF

HAVING CONTROL OVER OTHERS.

• YES, IT IS WRONG TO DESIRE A POSITION SO OTHERS WILL ADMIRE YOU.
• YES, IT IS WRONG TO DESIRE A POSITION OF LEADERSHIP IF IT IS BASED ON JEALOUSY OF THOSE ALREADY IN LEADERSHIP.
• NO, IT IS NOT WRONG TO DESIRE TO POSSESS THE CHARACTER QUALITIES OF A LEADER. IN FACT WE SHOULD ALL BE WORKING TOWARD DEVELOPING THOSE CHARACTER QUALITIES.
• NO, IT IS NOT WRONG TO DESIRE TO SERVE GOD TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITY.

• PRINCIPLE #9

IT IS GOD WHO PUTS PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP POSITIONS

• HOW DO WE KNOW THIS IS TRUE?
• THIS PRINCIPLE CAN BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT TO THE NEW TESTAMENT.
• THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE DID NOT INITIALLY VOLUNTEER FOR THE JOB OF LEADERSHIP, BUT WERE CALLED BY GOD:
• JACOB
• MOSES
• DAVID
• PAUL
• READ PRO 21:1-2
• JUST AS GOD RAISES UP AND PUTS DOWN GOVERNMENT LEADERS ACCORDING TO HIS WILL, HE RAISES UP AND PUTS DOWN LEADERS IN THE CHURCH.
• THE CONSEQUENCES OF PRINCIPLE #9:
• IF A PERSON IS IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION, IT IS BECAUSE GOD HAS PUT HIM THERE.
• THEREFORE, THE REST OF US OWE THAT PERSON RESPECT BECAUSE GOD HAS CHOSEN HIM TO BE THERE.
• IF A PERSON IS NOT WORTHY TO BE IN A LEADERSHIP POSITION, IT WILL BE GOD WHO REMOVES HIM IN HIS TIME..
• OUR CRITICISM OF THAT PERSON WILL NOT CAUSE HIS REMOVAL. INSTEAD, OUR CRITICISM WILL PUT US IN OPPOSITION TO GOD.
• THIS IS WHERE FAITH COMES IN. WE NEED TO TRUST GOD TO PUT THOSE PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP THAT GOD WANTS AND TO REMOVE THEM IN GOD’S PERFECT TIMING ALL FOR OUR GOOD.
• APPLICATION:
• A PERTINENT PROBLEM IN MANY CHURCHES REGARDING POSITIONS OF LEADERSHIP:
• JEALOUSY OF CURRENT LEADERS
• THIS ATTITUDE COMES FROM A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING ON THE PART OF THE JEALOUS PERSON.
• HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND PRINCIPLES #8 AND #9.
• #8 THE CHARACTER QUALITY OF HUMILITY IS IMPORTANT TO BE A LEADER. JEALOUSY IS NOT HUMILITY.
• READ PHIL 2:3
• #9 GOD PUTS PEOPLE IN LEADERSHIP.
• HE DOES NOT UNDERSTAND THE TRUE SIGNIFICANCE OF LEADERSHIP. LEADERSHIP MEANS RESPONSIBILITY AND RESPONSIBILITY MEANS ACCOUNTABILITY.
• LEADERS BEAR A HEAVY RESPONSIBILITY TO BE GOOD AT WHAT THEY DO.
• WHEN GOD GIVES A PERSON A RESPONSIBILITY, HE IS ACCOUNTABLE TO GOD FOR WHAT HE DOES.
• A FAILURE OF RESPONSIBILITY MEANS CHASTISEMENT.
• PAUL ENDS THIS SECTION WITH A PRAYER OF PRAISE (17)
• “UNTO THE KING ETERNAL ” (JESUS CHRIST, WHO IS HEAD OF THE CHURCH)
• “THE ONLY WISE GOD” (HE KNOWS WHAT HE IS DOING WHEN HE CALLS PASTORS AND TEACHERS AND OTHERS TO LEADERSHIP IN A CHURCH).
• “BE HONOR AND GLORY FOREVER AND EVER” (THE PURPOSE FOR A CHURCH AND THE PURPOSE OF A CALLING FROM GOD IS TO DO THE WORK OF GOD IN BRINGING PEOPLE TO SALVATION SO THAT GOD WILL BE GLORIFIED).

 

HOMEWORK

1TIMOTHY 1:18-20

THIS IS A SELF-STUDY. PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER FORCORRECTION.

• APPLICATION OF 1TIM 1:11-17
• WHAT LEADERSHIP CHARACTER QUALITIES DO YOU NEED TO DEVELOP IN YOUR OWN LIFE?
• HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DEVELOP THESE QUALITIES?
• WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT LEADERSHIP IN THIS LAST LESSON THAT HAS CHANGED YOUR ATTITUDES ABOUT LEADERS?
• ARE THERE ANY OF THESE ATTITUDES THAT NEED GOD’S FORGIVENESS?
• IF YOUR ANSWER IS YES, PRAY AND ASK GOD FOR FORGIVENESS. THEN THANK HIM FOR IT.
• PREPARATION FOR 1TIM 1:18-20
• READ 1TIM 1:18-20
• ALSO READ 1COR 5:1-13
• WHAT DO YOU THINK PAUL MEANS, “DELIVERED UNTO SATAN”, IN VERSE 20?
• WHO DO YOU THINK SHOULD MAKE THIS JUDGMENT?
• MEMORY VERSE: 1TIMOTHY 1:19