Leadership Lesson #4

"The same goes for those who want to be servants in the church: serious, not deceitful, not too free with the bottle, not in it for what they can get out of it. They must be reverent before the mystery of the faith, not using their position to try to run things. Let them prove themselves first. If they show they can do it, take them on. No exceptions are to be made for women—same qualifications: serious, dependable, not sharp-tongued, not overfond of wine. Servants in the church are to be committed to their spouses, attentive to their own children, and diligent in looking after their own affairs. Those who do this servant work will come to be highly respected, a real credit to this Jesus-faith.

I hope to visit you soon, but just in case I’m delayed, I’m writing this letter so you’ll know how things ought to go in God’s household, this God-alive church, bastion of truth. This Christian life is a great mystery, far exceeding our understanding, but some things are clear enough:

He appeared in a human body,
    was proved right by the invisible Spirit,
        was seen by angels.
He was proclaimed among all kinds of peoples,
    believed in all over the world,
        taken up into heavenly glory." 1 Timothy 3:8-14 MSG

I decided to cut the lesson from Chapter 3 into two sections. This is the second part and will cover the requirements of being church servant leaders.

Although most of this letter is self-explanatory, let us highlight at least 10 points that Paul was charging Timothy, in regards to those who want to serve in the different capacities, in the different ministries within the church must also posses these characteristics:

1) Like the Leaders which we tackled in Lesson #3, Servants appointed should have a good reputation and respected within the church and the community.

2) They should also not be deceitful or two-faced.

3) They should not be addicted to alcohol.

4) They must be eager to serve, rather than eager to be served.

5) They should not take for granted their salvation, which is free but not cheap.

6) They must be tested first and have proven themselves worthy.

7) Their spouse should possess the same characteristics.

8) They should not engage in gossip and should be careful with their conversations.

9) They should take care of their chilldren, their family and their affairs.

10) And they should be faithful to their spouse.

Meaning, pastors, leaders and servants all basically share the same qualifications.

Leadership Lesson #3

Leadership in the Church

"If anyone wants to provide leadership in the church, good! But there are preconditions: A leader must be well-thought-of, committed to his wife, cool and collected, accessible, and hospitable. He must know what he’s talking about, not be overfond of wine, not pushy but gentle, not thin-skinned, not money-hungry. He must handle his own affairs well, attentive to his own children and having their respect. For if someone is unable to handle his own affairs, how can he take care of God’s church? He must not be a new believer, lest the position go to his head and the Devil trip him up. Outsiders must think well of him, or else the Devil will figure out a way to lure him into his trap." 1 Timothy 3:1-7 MSG

Continuing on this series, we will now take a look at the heart of the requirements of being church servant leaders (chapter 3).

From this we will pull out at least 10 points that Paul was charging Timothy, the young man he left to lead and pastor the church in Ephesus.

1) Leaders appointed to lead a church should have a good reputation not just from within the church but from the community and should be respected by his wife and children.

2) The leader must have one wife.

3) The leader should not be a drinker.

4) The leader must be accessible, hospitable and gentle.

5) The leader should not be easily offended.

6) The leader must not be greedy.

7) The leader should be able to teach the gospel.

8) The leader must be non-violent.

9) The leader must be able to manage his finances and his family affairs.

10) And lastly, the leader must not be a new believer. For this requirement, Paul added a warning, less the leader becomes arrogant and fall into traps the enemy will set for him.

Now the reality is that a few of these conditions, Paul himself do not possess. And this probably is why I believe he did not pastor a church. He sure planted many and oversaw their pastors, but he didn't really stay as a pastor of a church.

It is amazing that, the conditions he set forth, he himself would not be able to pass, such is the importance of choosing the right church leaders and the humility of this man who was once so self-centered and self-arrogant and so sure of himself, that he had no need for God. 

Leadership Lesson #2

Simple Faith and Plain Truth

"The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know. Pray especially for rulers and their governments to rule well so we can be quietly about our business of living simply, in humble contemplation. This is the way our Savior God wants us to live.

He wants not only us but everyone saved, you know, everyone to get to know the truth we’ve learned: that there’s one God and only one, and one Priest-Mediator between God and us—Jesus, who offered himself in exchange for everyone held captive by sin, to set them all free. Eventually the news is going to get out. This and this only has been my appointed work: getting this news to those who have never heard of God, and explaining how it works by simple faith and plain truth.

Since prayer is at the bottom of all this, what I want mostly is for men to pray—not shaking angry fists at enemies but raising holy hands to God. And I want women to get in there with the men in humility before God, not primping before a mirror or chasing the latest fashions but doing something beautiful for God and becoming beautiful doing it.

I don’t let women take over and tell the men what to do. They should study to be quiet and obedient along with everyone else. Adam was made first, then Eve; woman was deceived first—our pioneer in sin!—with Adam right on her heels. On the other hand, her childbearing brought about salvation, reversing Eve. But this salvation only comes to those who continue in faith, love, and holiness, gathering it all into maturity. You can depend on this." 1 Timothy 2:1-15 MSG

Continuing on this series, we will take a look at chapter 2, where we will deem at least five points that Paul was reminding Timothy, the young pastor of the church in Ephesus.

1) Pray. A believer's life should be marked by prayer - constant prayer. This follows the example of Christ, and it shows dependence and connection with our heavenly Father, apart from whuch we will be able to do anything.

Pray as well for our nation's leaders so as to have the freedom to live as a believer.

2) Salvation. Keep in mind that our Father in heaven wants no one to be lost but everyone to be saved. This is why this should be the same goal of every believer. And to this end, every believer's purpose is to share the gospel.

3) Praise. As with prayer, a believer's life should also be marked with praise - praising God over and more importantly instead of being quarrelsome with people.

4) Women. These instructions will be hard to take in back in their time but will surely be harder today. Paul had many things to say to Timothy regarding women and among them:

 a) Women should not get caught up prioritizing their outside appearance over and above other more important matters, especially to the point of neglecting these other matters. They should not concern themselves with calling attention to themselves.

 b) Inside the church structure,
women as much as possible should not lord it over men, telling them what to do. This in the context of wives being under their husbands, who in turn should be under Christ - meaning a wife who is following her husband is also following Christ, like a chain of command such as in a military or corporate setting.

5) Believers (men and women) should ought to continue in humility, in peace, in patience, in love and gathering it all into full maturity of their faith and their calling. We are all called to worship God and to be a witness to others, anything less is contrary to our new nature in Christ.

Leadership Lesson #1

Self-Appointed Experts on Life

"On my way to the province of Macedonia, I advised you to stay in Ephesus. Well, I haven’t changed my mind. Stay right there on top of things so that the teaching stays on track. Apparently some people have been introducing fantasy stories and fanciful family trees that digress into silliness instead of pulling the people back into the center, deepening faith and obedience.

The whole point of what we’re urging is simply love—love uncontaminated by self-interest and counterfeit faith, a life open to God. Those who fail to keep to this point soon wander off into cul-de-sacs of gossip. They set themselves up as experts on religious issues, but haven’t the remotest idea of what they’re holding forth with such imposing eloquence.

It’s true that moral guidance and counsel need to be given, but the way you say it and to whom you say it are as important as what you say. It’s obvious, isn’t it, that the law code isn’t primarily for people who live responsibly, but for the irresponsible, who defy all authority, riding roughshod over God, life, sex, truth, whatever! They are contemptuous of this great Message I’ve been put in charge of by this great God.

I’m so grateful to Christ Jesus for making me adequate to do this work. He went out on a limb, you know, in trusting me with this ministry. The only credentials I brought to it were invective and witch hunts and arrogance. But I was treated mercifully because I didn’t know what I was doing—didn’t know Who I was doing it against! Grace mixed with faith and love poured over me and into me. And all because of Jesus.

Here’s a word you can take to heart and depend on: Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners. I’m proof—Public Sinner Number One—of someone who could never have made it apart from sheer mercy. And now he shows me off—evidence of his endless patience—to those who are right on the edge of trusting him forever.

Deep honor and bright glory
    to the King of All Time—
One God, Immortal, Invisible,
    ever and always. Oh, yes!

I’m passing this work on to you, my son Timothy. The prophetic word that was directed to you prepared us for this. All those prayers are coming together now so you will do this well, fearless in your struggle, keeping a firm grip on your faith and on yourself. After all, this is a fight we’re in.

There are some, you know, who by relaxing their grip and thinking anything goes have made a thorough mess of their faith. Hymenaeus and Alexander are two of them. I let them wander off to Satan to be taught a lesson or two about not blaspheming." 1 Timothy 1:3-20 MSG

Apostle Paul wrote this "instructional" letter during the last years of his life.

This letter along with the second letter to Timothy and the letter to Titus are deemed to be the "Pastoral Epistles" as they contain both pastoral and practical advice from Paul.

Timothy at the time was the young pastor at the church at Ephesus.

It may be old but the practical lessons and the truths in these letters are still among the most important lessons one should take to heart if one is in or planning to be in ministry.

Scriptures say to whom much is given, much is expected. And also to rejoice not because evil spirits submit to you but instead rejoice because your name is written in heaven.

Church Leadership

Ministry work, especially ministry leadership work is subject to constant attack from the enemy, who has no other goal but to put you down. All they need is just a little foothold and if you allow it, it would be like placing one bad egg inside a basket full of eggs, to which soon enough will make the whole basket bad.

From the passage above, there are at least 10 points that Paul made to Timothy, which of course are applicable to any ministry leader today. They are:

1) Stay leading and pastoring the church you are in.

2) Keep on teaching your flock.

3) Stay away if not counter wrong teaching or doctrine.

4) Teach solely on LOVE with LOVE for LOVE and because of LOVE.

5) Guard against things, activities, people and influences that will take you out of your main teaching -- God's love.

6) Guidance and counsel although part of things you might do, are given out but with special care. Be very careful on what you say and to whom you say it to.

7) The LAW was given for law breakers and for them to see that they are lawless and couldn't be able to save themselves (apart from Jesus).

8) We owe everything to Jesus. We are not worthy of anything but because of our heavenly Father's great love and mercy, we were saved, set apart and made righteous, not because of who we are, or what we know, what we do or have done. No, nothing is about us. It is all about Jesus.

9) Ministry work has been passed on to you from your leader, teacher, mentor, pastor, and the Lord.

10) Wandering away from God or from these points, would mean being taught a lesson.