Jump Start # 3433

  1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of an overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

Our verse today launches into what is commonly called the qualifications of an elder or bishop. These are more the qualities and characteristics of a godly leader than simply “qualifications.” It seems that a lot of attention is placed upon the word “aspires.” We’d simply say, “does he want it?” If a person has too much desire, it’s not looked upon kindly. Ego and attitude may be out of alignment. However, if a person doesn’t want it, then he won’t do it. There seems to be a balance here. Not too much and not too little.

But another expression from our passage that isn’t talked about much is the phrase, “a fine work.” The work of shepherding people is just that, a work. It’s people work. It’s kingdom work. It’s not a title or an upward movement in kingdom. It doesn’t mean being the boss.

It is a work that a man is signing up to do. And, the work is long. It is hard. It often gets little praise and only noticed if something isn’t hitting on all cylinders.

It is a work keeping everyone going in the right direction and everyone connected. We tend to push each other’s buttons. We tend to step on one another’s toes. We tend to bump and bruise one another. And, when there is friction in the flock, the sheep do not do well. This is true in real flocks and this is true in God’s kingdom. Throw in just enough jealousy, and sprinkle some gossip on top and you’ll have all the things you need for a one way trip through nightmares. Some are babes and some are out right babies. Some are not happy unless they are miserable. And, when some talk, it’s only to complain. One guy said, “The church would be great if it wasn’t for all the people.” Well, that’s what church is, people. A mixture. Jew and Gentile. Master and slave. Male and female. Some with a long history of knowing the Lord and others you are first generation.

Here are some thoughts:

First, while it is a WORK, it is a work that can be done. This isn’t an impossibility. This is not a suicide mission. Working with God’s word as a basis, and teaching hearts that love the Lord, growth, change, equipping can take place. This is a work in which the shepherd needs to build trust. This is something that the shepherd needs to know God’s word.

Second, this isn’t a work that one does alone. When God’s organization is described, it’s always in the plurality. So, with other men, who are trained, talented, gifted and God-fearing, the shepherd has a team to help him. Others will bring in perspectives that he may not have thought about. Others will remind him of passages that he forgot about. With each other, all after the same goal, holding up each other’s hands, the work gets done.

Third, this is the greatest work that this man will ever do. It’s a work which he likely will not get paid for. It’s a work that often gets little attention or praise. Most will never know about the prayers the shepherd prays for the people he is working with. Most won’t know of the conversations, Bible studies, and numerous times he has reached out to help a family get stronger in the Lord. The church sees this man on Sunday and they may wonder what he does. He knows. The Lord knows. And, truly that’s all that matters.

This work is the greatest because the shepherd is changing lives for eternity. He is reminding people of a commitment that they forgot to keep. He finds the ways to pull a marriage together that was nearly falling apart. He helps others grow and develop and become useful in the kingdom. He sees a congregation that is getting stronger and closer to the Lord. While many point their praise to the preacher, it’s truly the shepherds that have been the backbone of the congregation. He knows. The Lord knows.

The work of leading God’s people should not be taken lightly. There are so many who are doing a marvelous job in different parts of the kingdom. They are a blessing to those who are guided by them. Yet, there are still some who carry the title “Bishop,” or, “elder,” and it’s viewed upon as a promotion in the kingdom. Double standards, indifference and a lack of Biblical leadership, have made many to question such leaders.

He leadeth me, is what the Psalmist said in the great Shepherd Psalm (23).

Roger

Jump Start # 2837

1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement; if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

Our verse today has two interesting words that are very familiar with each other. The words are: “aspire,” and, “desire.” We use the concept of desire much more than “aspire.” Where do you want to go eat, we ask. In essence, what do you desire to eat, is what we are asking. Where do you want to go on vacation? What destination do you desire? Even at graduation, that idea is brought up. What college are you going to? What field of study are you looking at? What do you want to do after high school? All of those revolve around the idea of desire. What is it that you want?

I was with some people the other day and the discussion turned to Bucket Lists. Where do you want to visit before you die. Several at our table suggested Australia. That was at the top of their bucket list. It’s fun to make lists like that.

But here in our verse, the want list, the desires were not about food, vacations or bucket lists. It was about serving in the kingdom of God. It was about work. It was about helping people and leading people to the Lord. Aspiring to the office of an overseer…desiring a work—kingdom work is what Paul had in mind.

Now some thoughts:

First, this is a work. It’s a lot of work. It’s working with people and people can often be messy. We can sure get things tangled up in our marriages, our attitudes and our walk with the Lord. Straightening those things out takes love, patience and the word of God. The work of overseeing and shepherding is just that, work. It’s not about control. It’s not about power. It’s not about being in charge. It’s not about running the church. Anyone who has those ideas, needs to sit on the sidelines with this Bible for a while. He’s got the wrong idea. He’ll make a boss, but not a shepherd. He may bark orders, but not lead people. And, anyone who has the idea that this work is a cake walk, truly doesn’t understand human nature, nor the concept of shepherding.

Second, this is a fine work. In fact, it’s one of the greatest works. This is about changing lives and destinies. It is about redirecting family trees toward the Lord. The Lord does the work. The Lord does the saving. The Lord does the changing. The shepherd is merely the instrument. The credit is all the Lord. Much too often, horror stories are told about this spiritual work. And, even more often, criticism and potshots are taken at godly leaders for doing just that, leading in a godly way. And, through that a negative taste comes to the minds of many. But to the Lord, this is a fine work. This is a beautiful work. This is keeping God’s people close to the Lord.

Third, why would anyone want to do this? If it’s not about power and it’s not about running things, why aspire? Why would anyone desire this work? For most, it’s all volunteer. For most, it’s thankless. For most, it is long hours, lots of prayers and lots of conversations. So, why do it? Why would anyone aspire to this? It can sound like a hitch in the army. Do your time and get out while you can, is what I’ve heard many former military people tell me. But I’ve known men who served as shepherds for decades upon decades. And, this pandemic has been one of the most difficult strains that elderships have gone through. What is the right decision? So many guidelines. So many opinions. So many factors to factor. Some brethren haven’t done well through this. Some have allowed the isolation and pandemic to smother their faith. Some have not had the best attitudes. Some have chosen to leave. And, through this godly leaders where trying to keep everyone moving forward. It’s been very, very hard.

So, why would anyone want to do this? This is how our verse is framed. There were men then and there are men today who aspire and desire this work. Why? What’s in it for them? What do they get? Will there be more jewels in their crown? Will they get a closer spot to see the Lord? No, none of those things, even if they did exist. It’s not about what do I get. That’s far too American and far too selfish.

Why desire? Why aspire? Because they love the Lord. They love the Lord’s people. They recognize that they have a talent from the Lord and they want to use that to honor Him. They want to guide people and help people. It’s not about power, control or being in charge. It’s loving people so much that one wants to help them. It’s people who are already involved with people. They have been teaching, influencing and helping. They love the kingdom and they want to see people thrive spiritually.

That’s it. Nothing vain. Nothing material. No ego stroking. Just helping God’s people stay the course and encouraging them to walk ever closer to the Lord. Shepherding is like being a parent. You want the best from those kids. You do all you can to help them. You pour hours and hours into them to guide them and develop them. That’s shepherding. And, where would our congregations be today without these godly men guiding us?

Aspire. Desire. Dream. Long. Want. Those thoughts need to be planted in the minds of teenage boys. The choices they make in their 20’s and 30’s may help fulfill those aspirations or those choices end those dreams. When God was looking for someone to help, Isaiah said, “Here am I, send me.” That’s the spirit that we need today. It begins early. It starts in the home. Serving. Helping out. Going out of your way. That’s the story of the good Samaritan. That’s the life of Jesus. That’s the way our story ought to be.

Spiritual goals—we need to make them. We need to keep them. We need more who understand shepherding and who have the heart that says, “If not me, then who?”

Roger

Jump Start #2295

1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement; if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

The overseer. The bishop. The elder. The shepherd. The pastor. Those are all N.T. descriptive words of the men who watch and feed the people of God. Our verse today is the starting point of what is commonly called the qualifications of an elder.

Qualifications are probably better viewed as qualities or characteristics. In the list are both positive and negative things. There are habits, domestic qualities as well as how one is viewed by others. The work of leading God’s people is an incredible opportunity. Too often, and very sadly, it’s misunderstood and therefore, misused.

One doesn’t run the church, no more than a dad runs the family. This isn’t parallel to being a CEO of a company, where one sits behind closed doors, makes decisions and holds multiple meetings with junior managers, all who long to sit at his desk and will do anything to get there. The TV show, Undercover boss, illustrates how out of touch the corporate executives are with what actually takes place on the storeroom floor.

God’s image is that of a shepherd who walks among the sheep and has built a relationship with them. He knows the sheep and the sheep trust the shepherds. They recognize the voice of the shepherd. When it’s time to move on to other pastures, it’s the shepherd who is out in front, leading them. The sheep follow. This is different from the cowboy in the old black and white westerns. There, the cowboy drives the cattle. He is behind them and he hollers and pushes the cattle. That works well with cows. We are sheep. We need to see a shepherd in front of us. We need to follow, not be driven.

The work of shepherds, and it is a work as our verse defines today, is not writing checks, making sure that that furnace man shows up to take care of the church building, or even counting the size of the crowd. His work is leading God’s people to Heaven. It’s a people job. It’s knowing the people. It’s conversations. It’s teaching. It’s listening. It’s advising. It’s answering questions. It’s shaping and molding lives through the Gospel. And, it’s a work. Often, shepherds see people when they are at their worst. Marriages barely hanging on. Addictions. Discouragements. Fears. Doubts. Stubbornness. That can be us. Why would anyone want to wade into such muddy waters? Why spend your energy trying to turn hearts around?

Why does a doctor want to see sick people? Why does a dentist want to stick his hands in someone’s mouth? Why does a funeral director want to dress dead bodies? All jobs, including shepherding, has stressful moments and things that are not the best. The upside is working with people that want to go to Heaven. The upside is seeing lives change and wrongs becoming right. The upside is that a difference is being made for eternity. Whole family trees can change because of the example and teachings of Christ. The upside is seeing unity, growth and God being honored. The upside is seeing the Gospel spread not only in a community, but globally. The upside is that knowing that you have changed lives for the better.

Our verse today instills two key components necessary for shepherding: aspiring and desiring. Want to, is how I would say that. A man ought to want to do this. If the want to isn’t there, then why is he doing it? Was he talked into something that he really didn’t want? Was he pressured? Did he do it because no one else would? If he could get out and save face, would he? Few things are worse than a grumpy leader who doesn’t want to lead. He’ll do just the bare minimum, if even that. He’ll complain all the time. His heart won’t be in his work and it will show. I’ve seen some like this. It’s a mess. The man doesn’t want to lead and the people grow tired of him not wanting to lead. But, he won’t step aside, nor step down. He views his role as running things and the shepherding aspect of leading is never done. He barks out orders and expects people to jump when he says so. The atmosphere is dark and discouraging and no one wants to step up and be part of that kind of leadership.

But when a man wants to lead and that is his desire and he has thought about that, studied that, prayed about that, what a blessing he becomes. He loves people and he wants to see the whole church at it’s best. He likes the little ones as well as the big ones. He likes the young ones as well as the old ones. He’s easy to talk to and he is kind in his words. He is thoughtful, gentle and Biblical. He knows where we ought to be and he knows how to get there. Problems are tough and stressful, but that’s not how he defines his work. He’s not a problem solver, although, he does that. He sees his work as leading the people of God. And the legacy of God’s leaders runs deep in his heart. He thinks of Moses, leading Israel. Joshua, leading the troops around Jericho. He thinks of Paul, boldly teaching God’s word. It’s in these shadows that he stands.

God’s shepherds are not arrogant, yet, they feel that they can add something to us. They can make a difference. They are thinking about us all the time. They are praying about us and for us. They long to see fat, healthy sheep who are honoring God in their lives.

Every man ought to want to lead God’s people. It’s a noble task. Every man ought to demonstrate that he can do that by leading his family. What he does at home reflects what he would do on a larger scale. Helping. Shaping. Listening. Encouraging. Being there. Being strong. Knowing where to go and knowing what to do. Too many have seen horrible examples of leading. Too many have heard God’s leaders being trash talked. All of those are wrong examples and shameful.

If any man aspires, is how our verse begins. Why would someone want to do that? It takes time, energy, patience and a whole bunch of love to do the job well. Why do that? Because he loves the Lord and in the spirit of the prophet, “Here am I, send me.” It is one of the greatest works ever done.

God bless the men who serve well. God bless those who say, “Here am I, send me.”

Roger

Jump Start # 2122

1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

Yesterday we shared some thoughts from this passage about the need for leaders in the church. We took a look at the concept of desiring or aspiring the grand work that is before us in helping people live righteous lives. It is one of the greatest things a person can do in this life. More need to give this serious thought.

But there is another side to this desiring the office of overseer. It’s a negative side. It’s not pretty. Some see this as a position of power and authority. Finally, they think, they can run things the way they want. And, to be sure that they get into this position, some politic. They do favors for others, hoping to win their “vote” in the process. The whole thing stinks to high heaven of arrogance, misunderstanding what is involved with shepherding and why one wants it in the first place. It’s not a badge of honor. Rather, it’s a roll up your sleeves and get busy helping people. I knew one church who appointed a man to be an elder and he made the claim, “I don’t like people.” That’s like a mechanic who doesn’t like to get his hands dirty or a doctor who doesn’t like to see sick people. Shepherding is about people. It’s about us, all of us. Some of us are pretty easy to take care of. We are serious about our faith and our walk with the Lord. We want to help out where we can and you’ll find us at worship when the doors are open. Others seem to struggle more. Family problems pulls them down and away. Messy marriages, where trust and communication seem to fail. Problems of addictions, whether gambling, alcohol, porn or drugs. Each of these impacts lives and families. Then there are the financial issues. Some folks just haven’t learned how to budget and say no to their buying habits. They spend more than what comes in. They’d probably make pretty good congressmen, but running a household like that doesn’t work well.

Shepherding is about working with people. It’s about helping people. It’s often dealing with people when they are at their worst or when the bottom seems to have fallen out in their lives. It’s not running the corporation. The church is not a corporation. It’s not about barking out demands and ordering others around. The church isn’t a military, even though some act that way. Shepherding isn’t even about getting your own way. Like most decent fathers know, taking care of others often means missing the ball game you really wanted to see. It means doing things for others that you probably would never do on your own. It’s sitting through recitals, watching the same Disney movies over and over and over. Dads do that because that’s bonding, connecting and doing things that are meaningful for the little ones. Shepherding is like that. It’s putting the people first. It’s listening to people complain about things that really do not matter, but it does to them. It’s trying to keep folks calm and focused.

Philip Keller wrote a masterpiece book years ago about Psalms 23. Keller was an English shepherd and he made brilliant parallels between tending real sheep and tending people. He pointed out that sheep don’t do well if any of three things occurs. They don’t like bugs in their ears. They don’t like to be hungry. They don’t like tension in the flock. So, the shepherd not only had to be watching for those three things, he had to be the solution. With bugs, sheep can’t scratch their ears like a dog can. So, the shepherd had to put his fingers into the sheep’s ears and pull out any bugs. UGH. Disgusting. That’s shepherding. He had to recognize what pastures were best for feeding the flock. Some fields had weeds that were harmful to sheep. The shepherd had to be able to recognize those. He had to watch for dangers, such as cliffs, fast moving water. Then, he had to watch for friction in the flock. He had to separate some sheep. He had to see who was being the bully. This was constant. Overseeing wasn’t letting the sheep loose on a field and then spending the rest of the time on your phone playing games and texting. His eyes were always on the sheep. Wolves love sheep. The shepherd had to watch for tracks and signs of wolves. Sudden storms could scare the sheep into running. The shepherd had to watch the weather. Day dreaming shepherds wouldn’t do well. Those that didn’t like to be around sheep wouldn’t do well. After a while, the shepherd smelled like sheep. I knew a guy years ago who was a pig farmer. He smelled like pigs. He kept a bottle of Brute cologne in this glove box. He poured that Brute on. He smelled like a pig wearing Brute. When you are around something a long time, you just pick up that smell. Shepherds are around sheep. They smell like sheep.

Shepherding isn’t about running the church. It’s about helping God’s people to become strong spiritually. It’s moving us out of our comfort zone and out of complacency. Shepherding is about listening to others. It’s having a heart of compassion. It’s knowing the Scriptures and how to use the Scriptures to help others.

I have been around all kinds of shepherds in the church. Some have been disastrous and nearly ruined the church. Bossy, mean, uncaring, harsh, the people worshipped in fear. There was little joy in that church building. I’ve seen others who were good men, just not leaders. They didn’t like confrontations and they didn’t like problems. So problems came and they stayed. They never went away. And, I have seen men who have the heart of true shepherds. They are compassionate about the work that they do. They are serious, godly and brilliant leaders. Today, I am among some of the best shepherds I have ever seen. Compassionate, concerned, visionary, helpful, thoughtful and godly. These men are doing things that most would never do. They continually go out of their way for the Lord. They would and have fallen on their swords for the sake of the kingdom. I wish others could see what a blessing these men are. Our lives are better because these men surround us.

A church should never appoint a man to the leadership role with the hopes that he will step up his game spiritually. If a man isn’t attending as he should, he needs to be taught, not appointed. A man who has shown little concern about the church should never be appointed a leader. A man who sees the role of overseer as a stepping stone to the top should never be appointed. He misunderstands the work he is to do.

I have found that as hard as it is to find men to be elders, it is even harder to get one to step down who isn’t doing the job right. Some are abusing their roles. Some show little compassion. Some are making a wreck of things. The church would be better off if such men were not in those roles, but there they are, and there they will be until death comes. And the church suffers. It becomes stagnate. It drifts under the heavy hand of someone who has no idea what he is doing. What can be done? In some extreme places, all the other leaders resigned, forcing the one abusive elder to have to resign as well. But teaching is always the solution. Study shepherding. Invite men in who have studied and taught this well. There are several men that come to my mind that really understand this Biblical concept of leading. Have them over for all day sessions on learning how to be better at what you do.

My wife is a nurse. She’s been nursing for a long, long time. Yet, she still has to take educational classes to keep up with things. It’s required if she wants to keep her license. Yet, many men who are serving as elders, have never looked deeply at what they are doing. They do not keep up with leadership ideas. They don’t read books about spiritual vision. They got in and they haven’t grown in their roles. It shouldn’t be that way. Once a year, the shepherds of a congregation ought to spend a day together talking, sharing and learning about how to be better at what they do. They ought to be reading material and keeping folders on all kinds of ideas. They ought to talk and listen to others. Learn. Be better. We do this in every aspect of life, but leading in the church. A guy proudly told me, “Once in, I know all that I will ever need to know.” I shook my head and walked away from that closed minded person who was clueless to all the wonderful things he could learn and help others with.

Desire the office. We ought to have that, but we ought to have it for the right reason.

Roger

Jump Start # 2121

1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”

Leadership in the church. Few things are more important. Far too many congregations are drifting with no one at the helm. Things that ought to be done, don’t get done. It’s just the basics and the necessities of surviving, such as paying the bills, finding a preacher and loading him up with keeping the place going, that is accomplished.

Our verse today seems to the giant hurdle that trips up so many today. If any man aspires, or desires, as other translations word it, is the problem. It’s a two-sided problem.

First, many do not want to be overseers. The overseer, bishop, or elder are different expressions for the same office of leading. These are not different levels of organization. He is spiritually experienced, thus an elder. His work is overseeing the church or flock. Thus, he is an overseer or bishop. Then there is the word, shepherd or pastor. He cares for the flock. His interests are in the well being of each member of the church.

These differing words define the work that is to be done. And, herein lies one of the problems in finding men to step up. It is a work. Our verse today describes it as a “fine work.”

Some just don’t want to do it. They work all day and they want to come home and stay home. And, by in large, they should. If a person doesn’t see the enormous good that comes from leading the people of God, then he may lean toward the selfish side of things. Sure it’s a work. Sure it takes time. Sure it gets messy. But consider David leading the people of God. Consider the apostles working with the people of God. What greater thing can one do with his abilities than to be entrusted in helping people spiritually. And, we need help.

There are those who need to be encouraged. Some are so up and down spiritually, one never knows from week to week if they will even show up at the church house. They need to be strengthened and taught. Some are upset and discouraged. Their feelings have been hurt. Things haven’t gone as they expected in their life. They need to be calmed, reassured and encouraged. Some are sitting on the sidelines of life, like at a parade, just watching everything go by. They need a gentle kick in the pants to get them up and engaged in the kingdom.

Sure there are headaches that come with leading. Every leader, whether in schools, sports, politics or in the kingdom of God, faces critics who think things should have been done differently. They get complaints from back-seat drivers who would never themselves take the effort to lead, but certainly have no trouble in pointing out every fault or disagreement that they have. There are heartaches that come with leading when some simply will not follow. Spiritually it leads to eternal death if they do not turn their lives around. There are hours of prayers and countless one on one discussions that the church never knows about. There are so many powerful things that they do to not just keep the place running smoothly, but to keep it on course with God and to point it in a direction that the future looks strong and bright.

And, some don’t want any part of that. They want a church that is growing, strong, and friendly but they don’t want to be part of shaping that. They want to jump in, enjoy the ride, and then jump out when it has taken them as far as they wanted to go. They are like the hitch-hiker of long ago. He adds nothing to the ride.

Across this country, there are so many who could and should step up to leadership in the kingdom but they will not. It may be that they have witnessed bad experiences with shepherds in the past. It may be that some abused this position and never fully understood that they are leading the people of God, not running a corporation. The old model of leading the church took the form of management in a corporation, where the elders looked more like CEO’s than shepherds and deacons were the hands on managers carrying out the orders of the “bosses.” There was little contact with the sheep and little knowledge of what was going on. In this old model, the work was taking care of the church building and running a budget. Big decisions came down to who to hold next year’s Gospel meetings. The members were left dying right in the pew and these leaders never realized it. As long as there wasn’t any major battles going on among the members, they felt that their work was done.

Today, many are seeing that the business model is not the Biblical model. Shepherds are to be among the sheep and their role is not budgets, buildings and bank accounts, but rather, helping each individual member become a success spiritually. Many have never seen this form of leadership. They have never experienced it done right.

Another reason some may not desire the work is because they have never developed themselves. We’ve ignored the consequences of the one talent man in Matthew 25 who buried his talent in the ground. He was proud to show the master that he still had what was given to him. He didn’t lose it. He didn’t waste it. But, he never used it. It was buried. We use our talents to lead in sports as we coach our kids. We lead in the community as we volunteer for different projects. But the greatest area of life, spiritually, we fail to see the value, importance and the need. Have we buried our talents?

Congregations need to develop men to become leaders. It begins at the wedding. Men are to lead their families. This has been a colossal failure in too many homes. Men work. Men come home. But the woman leads the family. The woman decides what will be done and the man has become the mute puppet who goes along. Society has pushed women to the forefront so much that men have become silent in the home. This is not as God arranged things. Men are to lead. The family is his own little flock. It is his job, his example and his role to get that family to Heaven. He will shepherd that family, in a small way, just like elders shepherd the church. It’s not paying the bills and loading the car for vacation. It’s strengthening your children, caring for your wife spiritually. It’s conversations and connections to the word of God. This is where leadership begins. From this, it’s a natural step to expand what a man has already done, to now lead the people of God. But before us are too many who have never lead at home. They have no clue as to what to do. They have had others tell them what to do. They don’t know how to lead and they don’t know where to begin.

Classes, sermons and special men studies on leadership ought to be offered yearly at the congregation. How else are men going to desire the work if they do not understand what the work is. You see a sign in a store window, “Help Wanted.” The first question is, “What kind of help?”

Aspire…desire…want to. Do you want to see the church do well? Do you want to see the church being strong and powerful for your children someday? Do you want the church to do what is right? Why don’t you want to help with that? Why don’t you want be a part of that? Not all can serve as overseers. There are some strict requirements. They follow our verse. But the spiritual desire ought to be running strong within every Christian. The desire to lead people to Christ. The desire to do what I can to help out. The desire to work with the Lord among His people. Could anything be better than that?

Tomorrow, we will take a look at the other side of this. Some want to serve because they want power.

Roger