1 Timothy 3:2 (ESV) — Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the
husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable,
able to teach,
NOTE: This is a
quiet time and not an expository thesis, so I only want to focus on a small
number of items. "Above reproach" can be difficult especially when
people's standards are not biblical. Obviously, elders are not super men or
spiritual giants, but we do have a responsibility to live to a higher standard.
Actually, we all do -- the difference is that a person is restricted from the
office of an elder if he does not live up to higher standard. There is no
"should," it is a "must" or you will not be allowed to
serve in that position.
I think
"hospitable" is an overlooked characteristic. I am happy to say that
in the elder churches that I have served, the men truly lived this. They were
not argumentative or petty. They did not demand their own way. They were not
overtly prideful. They did not play one-upmanship games. They were very
different from many men that I have observed in the business world and in the
military world. Again, we are all called to this as believers, but it is a
requirement for an elder in order to serve.
PRAYER: Thank you
Lord for how you change men. It can only be the power of the Holy Spirit that
can make strong, prideful, forceful, and intelligent men into godly hospitable
men to serve as leaders of your church. Thank you our Pastors again. I so appreciate
what you have done in their lives.
No comments:
Post a Comment