Slides: Qualified to Lead

Qualified to Lead
by David Feddes

Every Christian is a leader.

“You are the light of the world.” (Matt 5:14)

• To lead is to influence others.

• New believers have influence, and are on  track toward making a bigger, better impact.

• Spouses, family members, and other relatives influence each other.

• All church members affect each other and “spur one another on.” (Hebrews 10:24)

• Friends, neighbors, and co-workers influence each other.

Leading by attracting

Wives, be subject to your own husbands, so that even if some do not obey the word, they may be won without a word by the conduct of their wives—when they see your respectful and pure conduct. (1 Peter 3:1-2)

Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. (Titus 2:9-10)

Learners are always leading; leaders are always learning.

If you point these things out to the brothers, you will be a good minister of Christ Jesus, brought up in the truths of the faith… Train yourself to be godly… Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers… Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Tim 4:6-16)

Leaders of leaders

• All Christians are leaders in the sense that we influence others. Keep growing toward better and bigger influence.

• Some Christians become leaders of leaders, influencing a network of people.

• A few become leaders of leaders plus and oversee an entire congregation.

• Evangelize, instruct, pray, evaluate, equip, mobilize, coordinate, and care for.

A noble (and scary) task

If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. (1 Tim. 3:1)

Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. For we all stumble in many ways. (James 3:1-2)

Why learn qualifications to lead as overseer?

• Know what to look for in a church leader.

• Know what to aspire to in order to qualify.

Qualifications: reproducibility

• What beliefs and walk with God do we need more of?

• What character and relational patterns do we need more of?

• What family life do we need more of?

• What reputation with outsiders do we need more of?

• Leaders must be worth reproducing!

What beliefs and walk with God do we need more of?

 Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers. (1 Timothy 4:16)

 … faithful men who will be able to teach others also (2 Timothy 2:2)

 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound  doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:9)

What character and relational patterns do we need more of?

An overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. (1 Tim 3:2-3)

 An overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. (Titus 1:7-8)

What family life do we need more of?

He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? (1 Timothy 3:4-5)

Appoint elders in every town as I directed you— if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. (Titus 1:5-6)

• Respected most by those who know him best.

• Need not be single (as Roman Catholics require)

Pictures of church shape expectations for leadership

• Earn academic degrees: church as school

• Start & manage programs: church as business

• Draw & fascinate crowds: church as theater

• Provide therapy: church as support group

• Regulate behavior: church as government

• Family leadership: church as household

Church as God’s Household

 If a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God? …you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God's household, which is the church of the living God”  (1 Tim 3:15).

 members of the household of faith (Gal 6:10).

 members of God’s household (Eph 2:19)

 the household of God (Heb 10:21; 1 Pet 4:17). 

What reputation with outsiders do we need more of?

• He must not be a recent convert, or he may  become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil… And let them also be tested first (1 Tim 3:6-7, 10)

• Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands (1 Tim 5:22)

• Church leaders must be time-tested in godliness.

Qualifications: reproducibility

•  What beliefs and walk with God do we need more of?

•  What character and relational patterns do we need more of?

•  What family life do we need more of?

•  What reputation with outsiders do we need more of?

•  Leaders must be worth reproducing!

Who is competent?

For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? (2 Cor 2:15-16)

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us competent to be ministers of a new covenant (2 Cor 3:5-6)