Sermon Title: The Servant's Character Part 1
Sermon Text: 1 Timothy 3:1-7
Sermon Purpose: To call the hearer to examine the biblical qualifications for God's household leadership.
Sermon Proposition: There are 5 duty code qualifications for the overseers of God's household.
1 This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior, hospitable, able to teach; 3 not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle, not quarrelsome, not covetous; 4 one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence 5 (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?); 6 not a novice, lest being puffed up with pride he fall into the same condemnation as the devil. 7 Moreover he must have a good testimony among those who are outside, lest he fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NKJV)
The positional qualification of the overseer. v.1
The overseer desires the good position. v.1a
The overseer must desire the good work. v.1b
The personal qualification of the overseer. v.2-3
The overseer must be blameless. v.2a (Daniel 6:3; Philippians 2:15)
Must be the husband of one wife.
Must be temperate - reference to sober, balanced thinking in a moral sense. He must be watchful and observant of things going on around him, and balance in his assessments.
Must be sober-minded - controls over one's behavior and one's behavior and the impulses and emotions beneath it, this is expected of all believers.
Must be of good behavior - honorable and dignified.
Must be hospitable - those who would open their home and share their goods with traveling Christians, friends, and strangers.
The overseer must be a skilled teacher. v.2b (2 Timothy 2:2, 15; 1 Timothy 5:17; Titus 1:9; Ezra 7:10)
The characteristic is a conviction about the Word of God.
The characteristic is a command of the Word of God.
The characteristic is a competency with the Word of God.
The characteristic is a cause for the Word of God.
The overseer must be submissive. v.3
Not given to wine, not violent - bullying, verbal abuse, angry, bitter, pushing, shoving.
Not greedy for money - not focused on money, making money.
But gentle, not quarrelsome - forbearing in justice, tolerant and conciliatory. Express in a balance of honesty, tolerance, and gentleness.
Not covetous - lusting after what others have or what you don't have. (1 Timothy 6:10)
The paternal qualification of the overseer. v.4-5
The overseer must rule his own household well. v.4a
The overseer must keep his children under control with all dignity. v.4b (Titus 1:6; Genesis 18:18-19; Ephesians 6:4)
The overseer's household is training ground for God's household. v.5
"Many men rule their home but don't rule it very well - they don't get the desired results." David, Moses, Eli, Cornelius, Philippian Jailer.
The pivotal qualification of the overseer. v.6
The overseer must be more spiritually mature than the people he leads.
The overseer must not be clouded with pride.
The public qualification of the overseer. v.7