Tag: overseers
It’s Christ’s Church!
Scripture reading for June 2: Acts 20
“And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which He obtained with His own blood. I know that after My departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things to draw away the disciples after them.” Acts 20:25-30
Paul was meeting with the overseers of the Ephesian church as he was on his way to Jerusalem. He knew that this was his last meeting with them in person, after preaching there for two years. He wanted to share critical information that would help the church and its leaders during the difficult times to come. The first truth was that he had shared with them the whole counsel of God. God’s Word is able to save those who believe from death and destruction. It is the calling and responsibility of overseers to preach all God’s Word fearlessly because there would be those who would arise who were ‘fierce wolves’ that would seek to kill and devour Christ’s flock of believing sheep. They would twist the Word of God to draw disciples for themselves and for money. The Church was God’s Church, however, and He had bought it with His Son’s blood. God was watching and all leaders, true and false, would be judged and rewarded!
Overseers are to watch over their own lives to make sure that they are living by faith in the whole counsel of God. Then they are to watch over the flock of God, protecting them from them from the wolves and warning them through Scripture. Paul warned them that some of their own in leadership would prove to be false and like wolves, would be destructive. Paul’s preaching and example was his legacy passed on to the next generation. These instructions are as appropriate today as then.
Have you ever experienced a leader who turned out to be a wolf? What things can you do to protect yourself from this deception happening in the future? What is your responsibility towards the church and its leadership?
Prayer: Father God, I thank You that You are the head of the Church and that You bought the Church with the blood of Your Son. Help me as an overseer to be watchful of my own life and of the flock of which I am a member. May my life, preaching, and example reflect the whole counsel of God. Amen.
The mystery of Godliness!
Scripture reading for October 18th: 1st Timothy 3:1-16
In this chapter, Paul tries to help Timothy with some guidelines for those who work at overseeing the church. He gives Timothy some qualifications for both overseers and deacons and their spouses. These are not meant to be laws, but help Timothy evaluate those seeking to become leaders in the church and to give instruction to the church of the standards that God values in His leaders. Behind all these values and qualifications is what Paul calls ‘the mystery of godliness.’
It’s a good thing to desire to be an overseer in Christ’s church! Overseers are what we might call the pastors, superintendents and bishops of today. “Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.” We note that these qualifications involve character more than gifting or charisma. The ability to manage and minister in the home takes precedence over ministering in Christ’s church. If it doesn’t work at home, in will not fly in God’s household!
“He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and the devil’s trap.” Time in service is also a qualification. It takes time to grow in grace and the character of Christ. Pride and conceit are primary weapons of the devil and each man is born the first time will pride as a stronghold. When Christ changes us, we need time to grow in relationship and to build a reputation outside the church as well as in as a consistent follower of Christ. Reputations are easy to lose!
These instructions were given to help people know how to conduct themselves properly. But a relationship with Christ is foundational to godly living. “Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.” (1st Timothy 3:16) Faith in Christ brings godliness to all who believe as we humbly follow our Lord!