July 10, 2005
"The Apprentice and Effective Leadership"
A Call to Faithfulness—Part 4
1 Timothy 3
1. Everything rises and falls with leadership.
Read: Proverbs 29:4
2. Leadership is part of Christ's church.
A. The church is a fellowship.
They devoted themselves to the apostles teaching and to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.
—Acts 2:42
The top priority in a fellowship is unity!
B. The church is a family.
...live in harmony with one another; be sympathetic, love as brothers, be compassionate and humble.
—1 Peter 3:8
As a family we operate on the basis of relationships.
C. The church is a body.
Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.
—1 Corinthians 12:27
As a body we function on the basis of our shape.
D. The church is a flock.
Care for the flock of God entrusted to you. Watch over it willingly, not grudgingly - not for what you will get out of it, but because you are eager to serve God.
—1 Peter 5:2 (NLT)
A flock is cared for and led by shepherds.
3. The foundation of leadership is character.
"Character is the only true foundation of the state."
—President Calvin Coolidge
Good character is the best insurance...
—Proverbs 11:6 (MSG)
Fifteen Tests of Character
- Above reproach
- Husband of one wife
- Temperate
- Self-controlled
- Respectable
- Hospitable
- Able to teach
- Not given to drunkenness
- Not violent
- Gentle
- Not quarrelsome
- Not a lover of money
- Manage his own family well
- Not a recent convert
- Good reputation
"Every leader serves out of submission. If you can't serve, you can't lead."
A Call to Faithfulness—Week 4
Personal and Group Study
Getting Started
- When you were young, what did you want to be when you grew up? what changed your mind or kept you pursuing your dream?
- What are the key qualities you look for in a leader?
Digging Deeper: Read 1 Timothy 3:1-16
- What relationship does the list of qualities in chapter 3 have to the work Timothy has been doing (dealing with false teachers)?
- Why do you think Paul gave Timothy a list of qualifications and not a job description? What, if anything, is distinctly Christian about these qualifications?
- What do you think Paul's main concern is as he sends these qualifications to Timothy. do you think Paul expected Timothy to read this list to the church in Ephesus or to use it as a guide as he looked for leaders?
- Since we are not given a job description, what do you think the difference is between overseers and deacons? Why was Paul concerned about the wives of church leaders?
- What kind of test (mentioned in verse 10) do you think might have been given to deacons?
- Verse 16 looks like it is probably a son that the early church sang. What central facts about Jesus are summed up in this song?
Applying It To My Life
- Although applied specifically to leaders, why do you think these qualities are important for all Christians?
- Of these qualities, what two or three have you made progress in this year? In what areas do you want to grow?