The Leaders of the Church

Small Group Guide “The Leaders of the Church” 1 Timothy 3:1-13

Message Summary

The church at Ephesus endured many challenging situations at the time of this letter, with many of those resulting from a lack of character and biblical qualifications among its leadership. In this passage, then, Paul outlines qualifications that apply to elders and deacons in the church. In order for a church to abide biblically, her leaders must lead biblically.

Elders are the servant leaders of the church, leading out in ministry and in exemplifying and teaching the gospel. Deacons are leading servants, meeting practical needs and unifying the body for the advancement of the gospel. Concerning both elders and deacons, Paul does not focus on what they do in those capacities; rather, he focuses on their character, noting that leadership in the church is primarily an issue of character before God. The one exception to this in 1 Timothy is that elders need to be able to teach the Word competently and faithfully. The purpose in holding leaders to these standards was not for purposes of esteem or some sort of Pharisaical standards but for the sake of the gospel. The health of the church and the culture’s view of the gospel are at stake through leadership; therefore, they must be held to biblical qualifications.

Discussion & Application Questions

After briefly reviewing the message summary, use these questions to further examine the sermon and to discuss how these truths apply to daily life, so we can “be doers of the word, and not hearers only” (Jas. 1:22). Based on your knowledge of the people in your small group, select the questions that will best help you frame the group’s discussion of this sermon and sermon text.

The Church at Brook Hills “Sing Your Trust,” July 16, 2017 | Page 1 THE PROFILE OF AN ELDER (VV.1-7)

1. Remind members that the office of elder in this passage is also translated as shepherd, pastor, overseer, and also bishop in the New Testament. How do these terms give a picture of the role of an elder in the local church? 2. Looking at 1 Timothy 3:1, what does Paul call the work of an elder? What does this word choice by Paul indicate about the nature of an elder’s role and the right motivation to become one? Is an elder role one for actively working/serving, for power, or for a hands- off approach to caring? 3. Read verses 2-3. Describe the character qualifications that Paul lays out for elders. Why should church leaders be held to these high standards? How does one’s character, particularly that of leaders of a church, impact the culture’s view of the gospel? 4. Should these descriptions be characteristics of all Christ-followers? Even if we do not desire to become an elder or leader, how does our character represent the gospel to those within our influence? 5. Application: This week, invite a close friend or family member to give feedback on your character based on Paul’s list in verses 2-3. Encourage them to honestly answer the following question: “How am I representing the gospel to the outside world through my character inside and outside of the local church?” 6. Read verses 4-5. Can well-managed households lead to children who stray away from the faith? If parents cannot cause their children to have regenerate hearts, why would Paul include this qualification? What can be revealed about a leader through the way he shepherds his family? 7. Application: For those who are parents, how are we parenting and creating an environment for the Holy Spirit to draw our children’s hearts toward God? How can we demonstrate the power of the gospel and the importance of the Bible this week to our children? 8. Application: Particularly for husbands/fathers, in what ways are you leading your family in a way that detracts from the gospel? What is one way this week that you can care for your family in a way that points them toward the Father and His redeeming love? 9. Looking at verses 6-7, of what does Paul warn potential elders? Why are these situations dangerous to a local church but, more importantly, to gospel advancement?

THE PROFILE OF A DEACON (vv. 8-13)

10. Read Acts 6:1-7. How do deacons support and care for the church in a way that ensures the spread of the gospel? How do they care for the church in a way that shows the love of Christ for one another to a watching culture? 11. How does the story of Acts 6:1-7 indicate the need for leaders and deacons within the local church? 12. What is the one main difference between the qualifications Paul lays out for elders versus those he lists for deacons? 13. What do all of these qualifications indicate about the responsibility that leaders have within the church? 14. Application: Spend some time with your small group praying for the elders of the church. Pray for their families, jobs, personal relationship with the Lord, and relationships among one another. If you need a list of our Brook Hills’ elders, visit brookhills.org/staff 15. What does Paul’s handling of church leadership reveal about his love for the church and her mission?

The Church at Brook Hills “Sing Your Trust,” July 16, 2017 | Page 2 16. Application: What are your affections and attitude toward the local church? Do you love the church as Christ called us? What does love for the church look like? How are you demonstrating a love for the church with your words and your actions? 17. Application: In what ways has God gifted you and called you to step into leadership or serving roles in the church? How will you act on that this month?

Things to Consider

If you have people in your group who did not hear the sermon, read 1 Timothy 3:1-13 together and briefly summarize the main points of the sermon. Recapping the sermon text and sermon outline can also be a helpful way to start the group, even if everyone did hear the sermon.

Similar to previous recent texts, this one presents a challenge in interpretation concerning 1 Timothy 3:11. The literal translation of the word at the beginning of the verse is “wives” or “women.” The direction Paul wanted this sentence to read is a bit of a mystery. Because of the local context of the church at Ephesus, Paul may have used specific wording to speak to specific issues with deacons’ wives or women deacons there. However, using the broader context of Scripture to speak more fully into the issue of women as deacons, we can read in Romans 16:1 that Paul clearly commended Phoebe as a deacon and sister in Christ to the church in Rome. The conclusion is that women are not precluded from serving as deacons in the church when deacons are utilized in the biblical ways of service.

As we look through these qualifications, they are standards that leaders in the church are held to, which is important. Why is it important that our leaders live their lives in a way that reflects the Lord? The advancement of the gospel and our desire to not hinder it should drive us to hold leaders to a high standard. However, for those who are not currently deacons or elders in the church, why do we not hold ourselves to these standards? They are biblical fruits of the Spirit and obedience to the Lord’s calling on our lives. Should we hold one another up to these same standards? As a small group, how can we do this?

Weekly Prayer Focus

Pray for Our Church:  Ask God for wisdom and compassion to our elders as they shepherd our faith family.  Praise God for the leaders in our church, and ask Him to raise up more elders and more men and women to step into deacon serving opportunities.

Pray for Our City:  Pray for Aspire Movement as the focus on personal transformation for children in urban schools through mentoring relationships.  Pray for Antioch Missionary Baptist Church, Pratt City, and for Pastor Q.E. Hammonds.

Pray for Our World:

The Church at Brook Hills “Sing Your Trust,” July 16, 2017 | Page 3  Pray for the Zaza people, one of the largest unreached/unengaged people groups in Turkey, and for God to raise up church planters and resources to reach the Zaza.

The Church at Brook Hills “Sing Your Trust,” July 16, 2017 | Page 4