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Speaker 3: I subscribe to the,
uh, Dallas Morning News because,

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uh, I want to know my community.

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I want to see what's happening.

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I want to be informed about what
our neighborhoods and what our

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cities collectively think about
the news and about one another.

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And I can't help but notice,
especially last year, that one

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of the most frequent reports that
I saw were pastoral downfalls.

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Our local community is influenced by a lot
of megachurches, and it's unfortunate that

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one of the qualif one of the qualities
of our area, at least right now, is

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that you begin to read about countless
pastors, many of them notable and high

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ranking, who have repeatedly fallen down.

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And so you'll see headlines.

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It's littered all throughout our
local media about these high profile

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pastors who lose their ministries,
lose their families, lose their

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credibility because of repeated
offenses in one way, shape, or form.

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So you have here, Grapevine Police, former
substitute teacher, associate pastor.

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That stood out to me.

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That's my role.

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Faces child porn charge.

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That's something you don't
want to see of a pastor.

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It carries on.

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There's lots of them.

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Gateway Church, you know,
about this one, uh, this one.

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Not only the senior pastor, but
also some of the other pastors that

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understood and knew what was going on
behind the scenes were also accused of

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wrongdoing because they covered it up.

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They didn't blow the whistle.

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They weren't aware, uh, not that
they weren't aware, they were,

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they were aware and consequently
they should have acted and did not.

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Senior pastor at Fort
Worth Area Church removed.

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His lawyer confirms this.

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Another key.

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Pastor, I mean, some of these
guys whose names you know, I

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don't even have to bring up.

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You know them, and you've heard about
their ministries for many years.

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They have long, tenured, faithful
ministries for some of them,

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not all of them, of course.

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Why is this important?

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Well, you can easily see that when
stuff like this hits the news, and it

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makes its way onto our Facebook pages,
or to other news platforms, where

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there's a lot more user engagement,
people have a lot of feelings about

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these things, as you might imagine.

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It's And one of the things that I
like to subject myself to is what

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people say about these things.

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I want to read how people are responding.

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These are your neighbors and mine.

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These are our friends.

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These are people that you go to work with.

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And so I want to know what's
going on behind the scenes.

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What are they thinking?

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And of course, some of them seem like
they have their head on straight and

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yet for others, you'll see things
like this, where people are saying,

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well, yet again, here they go.

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Here we go.

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Family values.

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These guys preach.

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And yet hypocrite of hypocrite.

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Carolyn Wing.

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And we should be shocked.

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In other words, we're not shocked.

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This happens so regularly and so
frequently that none of us is,

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you know, knock me over with a
feather, she could have said.

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Adam Henley.

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My shocked face.

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I'm not, I'm, I'm, I'm not shocked.

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Uh, Reedy Bezek.

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Not even surprised.

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Um, Lauren Christie.

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Hashtag not a drag queen.

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In other words, your pastors
are the ones who are the threat.

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Not our drag queens at story hour.

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It's you guys.

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And this is not, this is not
me organizing my timeline.

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This is me just screenshotting
a section of it.

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There were some above and below that
were more even handed, I'll confess.

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But this is several comments all
in the same, the same timeline here

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where they're responding in ways that
are frustrating to say the least.

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Again, we've seen men rise to the
platforms that they have and God has

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blessed them for different reasons.

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But one of the things I want
to talk about today is why.

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Your being above reproach matters
not only to your families and to

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your communities, but to your church
and most importantly to your Christ.

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Men like this who receive
platforms are blessed with enormous

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responsibility and lots of pressure
and privileges that go with that.

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But I don't want you to excuse yourself
and think, well, that's those guys.

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My platform is much smaller and
therefore less consequential.

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You might think that.

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You might think that.

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But I want you to feel the weight of these
things and realize that all of us have.

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a platform.

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All of us have a place of influence and
a place of privilege that God expects

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you to steward and to steward well.

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We're going to talk about
irreproachability, being above

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reproach, and I want to help you
see why it's important that you

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possess this quality of life and why
you should also pursue it doggedly.

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Because there's so much on the line here.

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There's so much at stake.

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And one of the things that I want you
to avoid is you being a headline and

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people saying, Hey, not even surprised.

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Hashtag not a drag queen out there.

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It's you guys.

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It's your, it's your problem.

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And certainly the church has her errors
and her faults, but we want to do all

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that we can to make sure that we don't
fall into some of the same traps.

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In fact, I couldn't help but read
these stories and think about

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first Corinthians chapter 10.

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Paul encourages us to look back toward
history and Israelite history and

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to say, man, those guys fell poorly.

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They did badly.

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But he says, lest you start to
think down upon them and say,

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well, man, I could never do that.

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He says, Therefore, let anyone who thinks
that he stands take heed, lest he fall.

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Which is to say, of course, look at
your own self in the mirror and realize

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that you can make the same mistakes that
these men make, maybe in varying degrees.

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But none of these guys woke up one morning
and said, I want to commit adultery.

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I want to give away my marriage.

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I want to lose the privilege
that I have in my family.

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I want to lose my job, or at least simply,
uh, create a reputation for myself that

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nobody wants to work with me anymore.

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He says, No temptation has overtaken you.

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That's not common to man.

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That is, all of us experience the same
kinds of temptations to varying degrees.

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They're all, they're all common.

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We all know what that's like.

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But God is faithful.

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He will not let you be
tempted beyond your ability.

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But with that temptation, He'll
also give you the way of escape so

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that you may be able to endure it.

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Which is to say, the
temptations are gonna happen.

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They're coming for you.

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The devil knows your weaknesses.

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His minions that do his
bidding, of course, know the

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areas where you're weakest.

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And so you should not, you should
not be surprised when you experience

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the fiery trial, Peter says.

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But you ought to be aware of it,
ready for it, and ready to stand firm.

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What's going to hold you there?

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Pastor PJ and I are concerned
about our church having strong men.

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We want a church of strong men, which is
why we're doing this series Qualified.

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We're talking about the
qualifications of an elder.

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Elder is another term for a pastor,
and we'll talk about that in a minute.

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But we're telling you this because
we want a church of qualified men.

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We want a church that represents what
it is to be a strong and godly man.

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In fact, if you're paying
attention, you'll notice this

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is a recurring theme for us.

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We're spending a lot of time.

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There's a Friday morning breakfast
that Pastor PJ leads about, guess what?

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Godly manhood.

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Our last series, Godly Manhood, the
Fruit of the Spirit and How That

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Manifests Itself in Godly Manhood.

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This series, Qualified, all about
the qualifications of an elder.

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Again, godly manhood.

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Last year we talked about, at
our men's retreat, we talked

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about a band of brothers.

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Why do you need that band of brothers?

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So you could have godly manhood.

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This year, we're going
to talk about Integrity.

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Well, we're calling it uncompromised.

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And of course that's going
to be about godly manhood.

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We're trying to reinforce this idea
because we want to cultivate this for you.

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You might think, well, not a pastor.

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I don't desire to be a pastor.

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And therefore some of these
things, yeah, that's good.

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I should, I should go for that,
but I'm not called to be a pastor.

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And that might be the case.

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Out of this whole room,
many of you are not pastors.

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But remember that God gives us these
pastoral roles to be shepherds and to

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be examples to the flock, which is to
say that the qualified men of the church

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who possess irreproachability above
reproach are those things so that we can

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be those things together corporately.

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They're to be models
for the body of Christ.

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In this particular series, we're
going to spend a lot of time looking

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at a lot of these qualifications.

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But the one that cascades down
to the rest is above reproach.

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We're going to look at two texts
primarily, and we're going to do a

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lot of page flipping to kind of get a
fuller sense of what these things mean.

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But really what you're going to
see is that God installs leaders

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who know how to lead themselves.

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That's who God puts in
leadership positions.

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It starts with leading yourself first.

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Effective leaders lead themselves first.

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Let's just make that
a little mindset here.

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That's going to carry us
through this whole first sermon.

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Effective leaders lead themselves first.

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It makes perfect sense, doesn't it?

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A man shouldn't be entrusted with greater
responsibility if he doesn't know how

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to be responsible for his own self.

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In fact, Paul's going to say later on in
our text, the man has to demonstrate an

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ability to lead his own household well.

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If you can't lead your household,
how can you be entrusted

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to lead the family of God?

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Can't take care of your own kids, how
are you going to take care of God's kids?

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If you can't lead your own wife, how
will you lead the bride of Christ?

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The logic is simple.

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Effective leaders, therefore,
lead themselves first.

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And a church of spirit of the
weak leaders will produce weak

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men, which is why Pastor P.

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J.

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First and foremost, and then myself
and any other pastor we add to our

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staff, has to be the kind of man
that we can say, yes, he fits the

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qualification of being above reproach.

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He looks like what God
wants us to look like.

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Not perfectly.

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We'll talk about that in a moment.

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But if you have strong leaders,
they'll produce strong men and strong

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men who lead their families will
produce strong families and strong

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families will have strong communities
resulting in strong honor for Christ.

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And consequently, the
opposite is also true.

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If you have weak, unhealthy pastors,
you're going to have weak, unhealthy

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men who follow those weak and unhealthy
pastors, which is going to result in

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weak and unhealthy families, which will
result in weak and unhealthy communities.

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And on and on the cascade goes all
the way to, and most importantly, for

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the glory of Christ being Diminished.

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What gets me so angry about these
Facebook posts, and maybe you feel

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this too, is I feel like Christ is
just being dragged through the mud.

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His bride is being thrown down on
the floor and kicked and said, see,

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we told you, fakes and phonies, all
hypocrites, every single man that

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goes to church, hypocrite and a phony.

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In fact, the stats are in their favor.

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The stats showcase that the same
amount of men who are professedly

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non Christians are engaging in online
pornography and far worse than those

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who call themselves Christians.

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If you look at some of the latest stats
for pastors, you would think, well,

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surely our pastors are leading the
flock with, with godliness and purity.

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And men, I, I, I hate to admit to you,
the stats do not look good for us.

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It's discouraging.

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It's discouraging.

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And Pastor PG and myself, because we
think the Word of God makes us evident are

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really strong minded, strong hearted that
we cultivate a church of godly men who

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love the Lord, not perfect by any stretch,
but genuinely possess irreproachability.

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There's so much more to say about
this, but let's open up the text here.

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Effective leaders lead themselves first.

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Let's learn what that looks
like in this first text.

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First Timothy chapter 3 verses
1 and 2 in Titus 5, 1 through

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7, Titus 1, 5 through 7.

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Let's take a look first at Timothy,
and let's first define our terms.

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I think this is important given
that we're not, we're not a high

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church, we're not Presbyterians,
we're not Episcopalians, but some

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of those terms are important for us.

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Let's first start with the term overseer.

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First Timothy chapter 3 verses 1 and 2,
he says this, the saying is trustworthy.

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If anyone aspires to the office of
overseer, he desires a noble task.

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Therefore, an overseer must be
above reproach, a husband of one

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wife, sober minded, self controlled,
respectable, hospitable, able to teach.

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So in our first text here,
we have the term overseer.

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This is a term that we'll, we'll
have to unpack here because it's

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a term we don't typically use.

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Even though Pastor PJ is an overseer, we
don't call him overseer PJ, Pastor PJ.

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But take a look at Titus.

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Chapter 1, verses 5 through 7.

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Keep your finger in 1 Timothy 3.

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We'll be back there in a moment, but I
want you to see something in Titus 1.

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Notice Titus chapter 1 is, so both
letters are to Paul's protégés.

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Timothy is obviously one of, uh,
Pastor, Pastor Paul's protégés.

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It's one of his disciples, someone that
was led to the faith under his leadership.

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And Titus is also another
pastor under Paul's tutelage.

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And here's what he says to Titus.

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He says, this is why I left you in Crete,
as an island off the Mediterranean.

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He said, I left you in Crete that you
might put what remained into order.

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Order, ordering the
Church of God, that is.

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He's to organize her and to create systems
in place in order to help her be led well.

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And part of that system, he says
here, is to appoint elders in

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every town as I directed you.

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Now, that's important.

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Elders, that's plural.

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Every town, that means every, every church
was governed by more than one pastor.

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Elders is plural.

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Verse six, if anyone is above
reproach, there's our term, it's the

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husband of one wife, children are
believers, not open to the charge

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of debauchery or insubordination.

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He says for an overseer.

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As God's steward, must be above reproach.

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And of course, if you're paying
attention, you'll notice that Titus,

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as Paul writes to Titus, he uses two
terms to describe the same office.

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He uses them synonymously.

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In verse 5, he says, appoint elders.

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In verse 7, he says, for an overseer.

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So, here you have this idea
being developed in the mind of

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Paul for you and I to observe.

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Overseers and elders, at least in
Paul's mind, are equivalent offices,

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if not the same office entirely.

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And I would suggest to you that
these are, in fact, the same offices.

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Let me show you really quickly here.

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Overseer's the word episkopos.

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00:12:50,249 --> 00:12:52,289
You might hear the word
episcopalian in there.

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00:12:52,910 --> 00:12:54,549
That's where the term
comes from, episkopos.

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00:12:55,029 --> 00:12:56,810
You'll find these terms in our text here.

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3 1 Titus 1 7.

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00:12:59,154 --> 00:13:00,535
You'll see both of those terms there.

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00:13:01,015 --> 00:13:04,104
But you'll also see the
word presbyteros, Titus 1 5.

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Presbyteros sounds like
the word presbyterian.

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That's where we get our term elder from.

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00:13:08,475 --> 00:13:11,074
They're, it speaks to their
leadership, the way that they're led.

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And we see that term used in Titus 1 5.

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There's another term, and this is the
one that we like, it's the one that we

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privilege and favor here in our church, in
many churches, is the one called shepherd.

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Shepherd is a poyman.

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00:13:22,040 --> 00:13:24,830
So you have presbyteros,
episkopos, and poyman.

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00:13:25,089 --> 00:13:28,669
You're going to see a poyman, at
least the idea of poyman, all over

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00:13:28,669 --> 00:13:31,569
the scripture when it talks about
the church as the flock of God.

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Of course, flock referring to us as
sheep, therefore sheep need a shepherd.

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00:13:35,600 --> 00:13:38,649
You have a poyman, a shepherd,
who leads the flock of God.

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00:13:38,649 --> 00:13:40,959
And of course, Jesus himself
says, I am the great shepherd.

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00:13:41,390 --> 00:13:45,270
Uh, Peter calls him the shepherd and
overseer of our souls, the poyman

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00:13:45,690 --> 00:13:47,650
and the episkopos over our souls.

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00:13:47,660 --> 00:13:49,770
So Jesus fulfills all of these categories.

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00:13:50,190 --> 00:13:56,549
Each of these terms, episkopos, uh,
presbyteros, and poyman, they're each used

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00:13:56,860 --> 00:13:58,709
to define the leadership of the church.

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What's interesting, though, is that
the leadership is often kind of all

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00:14:02,410 --> 00:14:05,330
mixed together and used as one idea.

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00:14:05,509 --> 00:14:07,329
In fact, this is not on my
notes, but really quickly, let

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00:14:07,329 --> 00:14:08,650
me just show you Acts chapter 20.

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00:14:08,659 --> 00:14:09,959
Let me show you how Paul uses this.

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00:14:09,969 --> 00:14:10,769
Acts chapter 20.

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00:14:11,109 --> 00:14:13,719
He's talking to the Ephesians and
he's saying, look, I'm going away.

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00:14:14,190 --> 00:14:16,239
Uh, but I, I want you
to know what's coming.

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00:14:16,409 --> 00:14:20,629
And part of what he says here, part
of what he says is important for us

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00:14:20,629 --> 00:14:24,810
because I want you to see that the church
leadership that we choose is well founded.

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00:14:25,105 --> 00:14:29,395
We're going to contend to you that an
episkopos is a presbyteros is a poimen.

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00:14:29,404 --> 00:14:34,334
They're all the same office, even though
they're referenced by different terms.

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00:14:34,344 --> 00:14:37,875
Look at verse 17 of Acts chapter 20.

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00:14:38,194 --> 00:14:42,415
It says this, now from Miletus, he
sent to Ephesus and called the, you

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00:14:42,415 --> 00:14:46,194
see that word there, the elders, the
presbyteros, called the presbyteros to me.

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00:14:46,194 --> 00:14:47,725
I want to talk to them, Paul says.

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00:14:48,145 --> 00:14:51,504
And so then he starts to talk to them
and said, look, you know how I lived

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00:14:51,504 --> 00:14:53,455
among you and I did this and I did that.

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00:14:53,520 --> 00:14:55,699
Um, go to verse 28.

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00:14:56,730 --> 00:14:57,410
Verse 28.

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00:14:57,449 --> 00:14:58,660
Paul is talking to the Ephesian elders.

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00:14:58,660 --> 00:15:03,049
Verse 28 says, pay careful attention
to yourselves and to all the flock.

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00:15:03,359 --> 00:15:04,150
All the sheep.

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00:15:04,449 --> 00:15:08,739
Again, he's, he's talking to them as
though they're shepherds, sheep herders.

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00:15:09,160 --> 00:15:09,759
Uh, shepherds.

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00:15:10,319 --> 00:15:13,600
He says, pay attention to, uh, to
yourselves, watch your own life and all

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00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:17,100
the flock in which the Holy Spirit has
made you, here you go again, overseers.

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00:15:17,109 --> 00:15:18,449
There's our word again, episkopos.

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00:15:19,020 --> 00:15:22,809
Holy Spirit made you overseers
to care for the church of God.

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00:15:22,819 --> 00:15:25,819
Now you can't see this, but let me just
encourage you here, that word care.

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00:15:26,495 --> 00:15:31,015
In verse 28, to care is the
word to shepherd, poymanin.

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00:15:31,145 --> 00:15:32,145
The word is poymanin.

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00:15:32,154 --> 00:15:32,575
You might hear poymanin.

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00:15:32,575 --> 00:15:35,404
Poymanin is poyman applied.

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00:15:35,724 --> 00:15:39,224
He says the Holy Spirit has made
you episkopos and he's called

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00:15:39,224 --> 00:15:42,844
you to poymanin the flock of God,
to shepherd, to care for them.

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00:15:43,315 --> 00:15:46,364
And so in this one passage,
you have all three terms being

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applied to one group of people.

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00:15:48,225 --> 00:15:51,315
Now, we're going to tell you, we're going
to encourage you, this is how God intends

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00:15:51,315 --> 00:15:53,495
for us to understand the role of pastor.

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00:15:53,495 --> 00:15:55,484
Pastor is an elder, is an overseer.

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00:15:55,835 --> 00:15:59,174
A bishop is a shepherd, is
a pastor, is an overseer.

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00:15:59,174 --> 00:16:02,254
And so even though there's different
terminology applied to it, we're going

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00:16:02,254 --> 00:16:03,864
to tell you they're all the same office.

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00:16:04,174 --> 00:16:05,674
Paul is talking to one group of people.

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00:16:06,290 --> 00:16:09,400
Now that's important for you to understand
because if you go to different churches,

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00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:12,420
they're going to have an elder board,
and they're going to have the pastors,

356
00:16:12,420 --> 00:16:13,719
and they're going to have the deacons.

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00:16:14,130 --> 00:16:17,229
We use different terminology to talk
about different functions in the church.

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00:16:17,569 --> 00:16:21,330
And each church can do really what she
wants within the bounds of scripture.

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00:16:22,039 --> 00:16:25,009
I don't want you to think that we're
any more or less than the church down

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00:16:25,010 --> 00:16:27,860
the block or that they're any more
or less because we do it differently.

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00:16:27,860 --> 00:16:30,319
You'll notice that in the text that
we read, there's nothing about a

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lay elder board or a staff pastor.

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00:16:33,130 --> 00:16:37,604
There's, there's There's overseers,
there's elders, and there's shepherds.

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00:16:37,604 --> 00:16:40,154
And we believe they're the same
office and they all work together.

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00:16:40,344 --> 00:16:42,964
They define different aspects
of one office that we would

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00:16:42,964 --> 00:16:44,975
call the leader, the overseer.

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00:16:45,644 --> 00:16:45,975
Okay.

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00:16:46,334 --> 00:16:49,285
That said then, um, again,
here's another text.

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00:16:49,285 --> 00:16:50,274
Let me just point this one out to you.

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00:16:50,314 --> 00:16:52,364
You can go back to first Timothy
three, as I point out to you.

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00:16:52,364 --> 00:16:53,404
First Peter chapter five.

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00:16:53,405 --> 00:16:53,594
Okay.

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00:16:53,835 --> 00:16:55,665
Peter uses all terms synonymously as well.

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00:16:55,665 --> 00:16:57,585
Here's another text, one
Peter five, one through three.

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00:16:58,035 --> 00:17:01,634
I exhort the elders, the pres buto
among you as a fellow pres, buto,

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00:17:01,694 --> 00:17:04,243
and a witness of the sufferings of
Christ, as well as a partaker in the

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00:17:04,243 --> 00:17:06,884
glory that's going to be revealed ano.

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00:17:07,185 --> 00:17:10,545
That's the verb, to pointman
shepherd the flock of God that is

379
00:17:10,545 --> 00:17:17,054
among you, exercising, exercising,
EPIs, ex exercising, oversight.

380
00:17:17,625 --> 00:17:19,935
Not under compulsion, but
willingly as God would have you.

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00:17:20,679 --> 00:17:23,759
He says not for shameful gain,
eagerly, not domineering, but

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being examples to the flock.

383
00:17:25,170 --> 00:17:26,179
And that's my point here.

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00:17:26,179 --> 00:17:27,380
Examples to the flock.

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00:17:27,380 --> 00:17:29,390
An overseer is an elder, is a.

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00:17:29,810 --> 00:17:33,060
Pastor, and his job is to be
an example to the flock, which

387
00:17:33,060 --> 00:17:34,310
is why we get to our text.

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00:17:34,320 --> 00:17:37,229
First Timothy three, one, our
example to you should be what it

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00:17:37,229 --> 00:17:38,580
looks like to be above reproach.

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00:17:38,610 --> 00:17:42,040
Now, again, this is not perfection,
but this is the idea of direction.

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00:17:42,259 --> 00:17:43,019
Here's what Paul says.

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00:17:43,030 --> 00:17:43,859
Let's look at it again.

393
00:17:43,860 --> 00:17:44,090
Here.

394
00:17:44,249 --> 00:17:45,310
The saying is trustworthy.

395
00:17:45,310 --> 00:17:48,419
If anyone aspires to the office of
overseer desires a noble task, I want to

396
00:17:48,419 --> 00:17:51,680
start with something that's, that's kind
of small and you could quickly go past it.

397
00:17:51,680 --> 00:17:55,660
It's the idea of aspiration, um, not
breathing, but to aspire to do something.

398
00:17:56,379 --> 00:17:57,289
To have the desire.

399
00:17:57,289 --> 00:18:01,720
In fact, that's how Hebrews 11 16 uses
it to have a desire for a better country.

400
00:18:01,720 --> 00:18:03,269
That's how he describes the hall of faith.

401
00:18:03,539 --> 00:18:05,999
All these godly men and women who
are looking forward to the future

402
00:18:06,220 --> 00:18:08,970
weren't just ambivalent about heaven.

403
00:18:08,979 --> 00:18:10,970
They weren't just like, Oh, that
would be nice to do someday.

404
00:18:10,970 --> 00:18:12,439
They were desirous.

405
00:18:12,870 --> 00:18:14,240
They aspire to heaven.

406
00:18:14,269 --> 00:18:15,439
They're looking forward to it.

407
00:18:15,439 --> 00:18:18,899
There is a, there's a real hunger
and a longing for the future.

408
00:18:18,899 --> 00:18:19,740
That's why he says here.

409
00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:21,269
They desire a better country.

410
00:18:21,519 --> 00:18:24,550
That word for desire is the same
one that Paul uses to talk about the

411
00:18:24,570 --> 00:18:26,979
aspiration to the higher office of pastor.

412
00:18:27,889 --> 00:18:29,749
1st Timothy 6, I like the
way he describes it here.

413
00:18:29,749 --> 00:18:33,019
It's a negative use case, but he
talks about people that crave,

414
00:18:33,629 --> 00:18:35,009
crave money, crave wealth.

415
00:18:35,019 --> 00:18:38,434
He says the love of money is is
a root of all kinds of evils.

416
00:18:38,744 --> 00:18:43,064
It is through this aspiration, this
aspiring, this craving that some

417
00:18:43,064 --> 00:18:46,414
have wandered away from the faith
and pierce themselves at many pangs.

418
00:18:46,834 --> 00:18:49,944
And so you see how the word here is used
in a variety of ways, but it gives you

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00:18:49,945 --> 00:18:52,465
the sense that this ambition is strong.

420
00:18:52,474 --> 00:18:53,944
It's not just a small ambition.

421
00:18:53,944 --> 00:18:54,914
It's a, it's a good one.

422
00:18:54,914 --> 00:18:55,715
It's a godly one.

423
00:18:55,715 --> 00:18:57,454
And it's one that you should cultivate.

424
00:18:57,774 --> 00:18:59,144
It's one that you should pursue.

425
00:18:59,534 --> 00:19:03,084
Not necessarily mean that you need to
be But I do think point number one,

426
00:19:03,084 --> 00:19:05,104
you should cultivate godly desires.

427
00:19:05,584 --> 00:19:09,434
If the pastoral office is meant to be
an example to the flock, and part of

428
00:19:09,434 --> 00:19:12,985
the example is to, is what it looks
like to be above reproach, well, I think

429
00:19:13,004 --> 00:19:16,504
being above reproach starts with having
the godly desire to be above reproach.

430
00:19:16,925 --> 00:19:20,894
To be the kind of man that people could
look at and say, that man, the closer I

431
00:19:20,905 --> 00:19:25,454
get to him, the more I see authenticity,
the more I see integrity, the more I look

432
00:19:25,454 --> 00:19:30,254
at his finances, the more I look at his
marriage, the more I look at his, his

433
00:19:30,254 --> 00:19:32,215
browsing history, the more I respect him.

434
00:19:33,364 --> 00:19:36,304
That's the kind of person that
you should aspire to become.

435
00:19:36,534 --> 00:19:38,425
And what that's going to mean
for you practically is that

436
00:19:38,425 --> 00:19:40,634
you cultivate godly desires.

437
00:19:41,405 --> 00:19:42,134
Cultivate.

438
00:19:42,574 --> 00:19:43,965
That's an intentional word.

439
00:19:45,445 --> 00:19:48,414
I, I bought a plant from a
plant shop famous in Oregon.

440
00:19:48,624 --> 00:19:51,744
This synaptus, syndaptus,
something or other.

441
00:19:51,744 --> 00:19:53,514
I don't know what the plant's name
is, but it's a really cool plant.

442
00:19:55,064 --> 00:19:57,985
They, they have videos online that
teach you how to take care of the plant.

443
00:19:58,499 --> 00:20:01,800
And so I, I went online, I started
looking up stuff, and by the way,

444
00:20:01,800 --> 00:20:04,019
I'm not losing my mind here about
this, I'm not turning into a woman,

445
00:20:04,280 --> 00:20:05,340
I just happen to like the plant.

446
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:08,729
They need the right amount of
sun, they need the right amount of

447
00:20:08,740 --> 00:20:10,399
time, they need regular pruning.

448
00:20:10,749 --> 00:20:13,459
I, I'm learning as I'm taking care
of this plant, and it's doing well.

449
00:20:13,459 --> 00:20:15,819
I, I almost put a picture in here to
show you how it looked when I first

450
00:20:15,819 --> 00:20:16,800
got it versus how I got it today.

451
00:20:16,800 --> 00:20:17,459
It's doing pretty good.

452
00:20:17,489 --> 00:20:18,619
I'm, I'm, I'm impressed.

453
00:20:18,620 --> 00:20:23,169
But, but

454
00:20:25,310 --> 00:20:26,850
as I'm learning, huh?

455
00:20:28,284 --> 00:20:31,844
No, no, that's, uh, that's at the,
that's the office, that's the office.

456
00:20:31,884 --> 00:20:32,914
Mine does not have NADs.

457
00:20:34,684 --> 00:20:39,424
I'm learning though that there's a, it
takes deliberate effort and it takes, it

458
00:20:39,424 --> 00:20:42,774
takes energy and it takes thoughtfulness
to do a good job with those things.

459
00:20:42,794 --> 00:20:46,154
That's not, that's not
a mind blowing idea.

460
00:20:46,184 --> 00:20:47,214
I know that you know that.

461
00:20:48,034 --> 00:20:50,674
But there is a, there is
a gratification in that.

462
00:20:50,674 --> 00:20:53,624
When I see a healthy thing grow, I think,
that's good, I feel good about that.

463
00:20:54,049 --> 00:20:55,559
I feel like I'm doing,
I'm doing the right thing.

464
00:20:55,570 --> 00:20:58,120
And it gives me a little bit
of joy as it sits next to my,

465
00:20:58,350 --> 00:20:59,799
my computer monitors at home.

466
00:21:00,870 --> 00:21:04,570
It's not very different when we think
about cultivating our own selves.

467
00:21:04,919 --> 00:21:09,049
You shouldn't expect you to grow
if you're not taking deliberate

468
00:21:09,139 --> 00:21:10,529
effort to do that thing.

469
00:21:11,139 --> 00:21:13,439
And your questions, I have a
question for you you to think about.

470
00:21:13,949 --> 00:21:17,029
And as to what degree can
you actually cultivate liking

471
00:21:17,039 --> 00:21:18,269
or enjoyment of something?

472
00:21:18,809 --> 00:21:22,269
How much can you influence yourself
to enjoy something that maybe right

473
00:21:22,269 --> 00:21:23,629
now you don't find that enjoyable?

474
00:21:24,689 --> 00:21:26,259
I think it's possible for you to do this.

475
00:21:26,259 --> 00:21:28,289
And this is where I talk
about leading yourself first.

476
00:21:28,289 --> 00:21:31,759
Effective leaders lead themselves
to cultivate godly desires.

477
00:21:31,759 --> 00:21:34,439
It's not very different from,
it's very different in some

478
00:21:34,439 --> 00:21:36,899
ways, but not very different
from learning to like vegetables.

479
00:21:37,219 --> 00:21:37,989
You're trying to be healthy.

480
00:21:37,989 --> 00:21:39,969
You're going to have to eat
vegetables, try to be healthy.

481
00:21:39,969 --> 00:21:41,779
You have to eat certain
kinds of meat, leaner cuts.

482
00:21:41,779 --> 00:21:45,419
Maybe it takes effort to
make your palate enjoy that.

483
00:21:45,419 --> 00:21:48,019
In fact, maybe the first time
that you had a coffee, maybe

484
00:21:48,019 --> 00:21:49,109
like me, you didn't like it.

485
00:21:49,815 --> 00:21:50,755
But you persisted.

486
00:21:51,395 --> 00:21:52,415
You kept doing it.

487
00:21:52,595 --> 00:21:55,475
You kept on forcing yourself to
drink coffee, and soon enough, you

488
00:21:55,475 --> 00:21:58,185
graduated from the Frappuccinos, and
now you're just drinking it black.

489
00:21:58,465 --> 00:22:00,024
The tarrier, the better, you say.

490
00:22:00,345 --> 00:22:02,145
The blacker it is, the more you enjoy it.

491
00:22:02,735 --> 00:22:04,575
You didn't develop that taste overnight.

492
00:22:04,605 --> 00:22:07,335
It, for some of you, took years
to develop a cultivation for

493
00:22:07,335 --> 00:22:08,535
the taste of a good coffee.

494
00:22:09,284 --> 00:22:12,605
And it's very similar when it comes
to how we cultivate godly desires.

495
00:22:12,855 --> 00:22:16,795
It takes you putting effort to
say, I want to be this man, and

496
00:22:16,795 --> 00:22:18,025
I have to do something about it.

497
00:22:18,785 --> 00:22:20,525
Of course, it's going to
take knowledge on your part.

498
00:22:20,535 --> 00:22:23,345
Knowledge is one of the things that
we as a church particularly prize.

499
00:22:23,705 --> 00:22:26,925
We're talking about, uh, a transform
conference, or maybe we want to

500
00:22:26,925 --> 00:22:28,355
do on this, this coming fall.

501
00:22:28,355 --> 00:22:30,365
We're thinking about ideas
about how best to encourage

502
00:22:30,365 --> 00:22:31,545
you to grow in your knowledge.

503
00:22:32,135 --> 00:22:35,395
Danger of that course is that you can read
your Bible and have a lot of knowledge

504
00:22:35,545 --> 00:22:37,375
without developing godly desires, right?

505
00:22:37,404 --> 00:22:38,085
That's the danger.

506
00:22:38,085 --> 00:22:40,515
We can become Pharisees and have
all the biblical knowledge in the

507
00:22:40,515 --> 00:22:43,815
world, but not none, any of the,
the, the productive fruit from it.

508
00:22:44,445 --> 00:22:47,595
But you cannot develop godly
desires without the Bible.

509
00:22:47,595 --> 00:22:47,625
Amen.

510
00:22:47,625 --> 00:22:47,654
Amen.

511
00:22:48,515 --> 00:22:51,995
You can read your Bible without developing
godly desires, but you can't develop

512
00:22:52,025 --> 00:22:53,605
godly desires without reading the Bible.

513
00:22:53,835 --> 00:22:54,565
You need that.

514
00:22:54,975 --> 00:22:57,345
Now, of course, Philippians
chapter 2, Paul tells us to

515
00:22:57,675 --> 00:22:59,364
work out your own salvation.

516
00:22:59,715 --> 00:23:02,724
The work, the work there, the
word there for working out your

517
00:23:02,724 --> 00:23:06,534
own salvation, uh, is, is a word
that, it's more than the word work.

518
00:23:06,534 --> 00:23:08,934
In fact, the word for work,
most of the time, is ergon.

519
00:23:09,285 --> 00:23:13,055
Ergon, okay, E R G O N, if I was going
to make it an English word, ergon.

520
00:23:13,445 --> 00:23:16,495
But the word there that Paul
uses is like the next word up.

521
00:23:16,765 --> 00:23:19,795
So it's not just work, it's like
pursue this work with diligence.

522
00:23:20,035 --> 00:23:23,825
So work out your own salvation,
Paul says, put in the effort to see

523
00:23:23,825 --> 00:23:27,125
that Christ is formed in you is a
word that means take it to the next

524
00:23:27,125 --> 00:23:28,825
level, put it in the next gear.

525
00:23:29,095 --> 00:23:31,205
It's not just the normal word
for work, it's the word up.

526
00:23:31,825 --> 00:23:33,835
So he says you need, you need
knowledge, you need efforts,

527
00:23:33,835 --> 00:23:35,195
and of course you need patience.

528
00:23:35,615 --> 00:23:38,315
I started writing this sermon the
week that we got all that snow.

529
00:23:39,055 --> 00:23:41,155
And this was my first time
experiencing the snow.

530
00:23:41,165 --> 00:23:42,455
Maybe for some of you it was the same.

531
00:23:42,805 --> 00:23:43,765
But I looked out my window.

532
00:23:43,765 --> 00:23:47,565
I had my blinds open with my plant right
there next to me, looking out the window.

533
00:23:47,855 --> 00:23:50,274
And I started noticing when
the, when the snow first started

534
00:23:50,274 --> 00:23:51,575
falling, I, oh, this is exciting.

535
00:23:52,055 --> 00:23:53,305
Me and the kids went outside.

536
00:23:53,305 --> 00:23:55,845
Of course, we held our hands out and
did all the fun things that you do.

537
00:23:56,165 --> 00:23:58,825
And then after a few minutes, we went
back in the house and I went back to

538
00:23:58,825 --> 00:24:01,495
preparing my sermon because it was that
Saturday that we were going to meet.

539
00:24:01,995 --> 00:24:03,155
So I started writing my sermon.

540
00:24:03,155 --> 00:24:04,805
I saw, I saw a little bit of
the snow come down and then,

541
00:24:05,035 --> 00:24:06,055
and then it just kept on coming.

542
00:24:06,635 --> 00:24:09,285
And what ended up being just a
few small flakes on the ground

543
00:24:09,325 --> 00:24:13,385
ended up being feet of snow in
different places, inches at least.

544
00:24:13,935 --> 00:24:17,205
And I thought that's an interesting
concept because one little snowflake

545
00:24:17,205 --> 00:24:18,245
doesn't make much of a difference.

546
00:24:18,595 --> 00:24:22,185
But one little snowflake along with
all of his friends for multiple hours

547
00:24:22,185 --> 00:24:23,605
makes a ton of a difference, right?

548
00:24:23,605 --> 00:24:26,384
It was a huge difference
based on the amount of time.

549
00:24:26,425 --> 00:24:28,755
And that's a lot like our
godly and disciplined habits.

550
00:24:28,965 --> 00:24:31,475
One Bible reading session
may not do a lot for you.

551
00:24:31,485 --> 00:24:34,764
One time in prayer, one 10 minute
slot in prayer may not do a lot.

552
00:24:35,330 --> 00:24:39,080
But it does over the course of a
long tenured life of faithfulness.

553
00:24:39,080 --> 00:24:40,370
And that's what I want
to encourage you to do.

554
00:24:40,640 --> 00:24:43,050
That's how you cultivate godly desires.

555
00:24:43,190 --> 00:24:45,690
It takes knowledge, it takes
efforts, and it takes patience.

556
00:24:46,259 --> 00:24:46,820
It takes patience.

557
00:24:46,820 --> 00:24:48,980
I remember starting my
Bible reading years ago.

558
00:24:49,969 --> 00:24:52,989
I read through the Bible and I, like
most of you, you get to Leviticus,

559
00:24:53,000 --> 00:24:54,380
things start slowing down a little bit.

560
00:24:54,389 --> 00:24:55,179
It's a struggle.

561
00:24:55,490 --> 00:24:57,430
I remember reading through books
in the New Testament saying,

562
00:24:57,430 --> 00:24:58,590
what on earth does this mean?

563
00:24:59,170 --> 00:25:03,840
And I mean, I, I remember, I remember how
hard it was to read through the Bible.

564
00:25:04,350 --> 00:25:04,910
I remember.

565
00:25:05,060 --> 00:25:08,360
And even today, as I read it with a lot
more knowledge, it's still challenging.

566
00:25:09,419 --> 00:25:11,400
And many times I read the Bible
and I walked away saying, I have

567
00:25:11,400 --> 00:25:13,530
no idea what most of that meant.

568
00:25:14,159 --> 00:25:17,080
But I let the pieces be put in
place and I kept on persisting.

569
00:25:17,080 --> 00:25:20,149
And eventually God, through the
course of years and persistence, He's

570
00:25:20,179 --> 00:25:23,899
beginning to give Him, to give Him me
knowledge enough to say, okay, I get it.

571
00:25:23,980 --> 00:25:24,490
I get it.

572
00:25:24,660 --> 00:25:25,880
Not perfectly, but I get it.

573
00:25:26,685 --> 00:25:27,825
Cultivate godly desires.

574
00:25:27,835 --> 00:25:28,825
It will pay off.

575
00:25:29,045 --> 00:25:31,725
It does work if you allow it.

576
00:25:32,705 --> 00:25:33,625
Cultivate godly desires.

577
00:25:33,625 --> 00:25:35,055
Aspire to the office.

578
00:25:35,345 --> 00:25:36,554
Aspire to godliness.

579
00:25:36,964 --> 00:25:38,105
Cultivate godly desires.

580
00:25:38,105 --> 00:25:39,594
Effective leaders lead themselves first.

581
00:25:39,595 --> 00:25:42,425
And first and foremost, they
effectively cultivate godly desires.

582
00:25:44,635 --> 00:25:45,675
Let's go back to our text here.

583
00:25:45,675 --> 00:25:46,654
1st Timothy chapter 3.

584
00:25:47,074 --> 00:25:48,785
He says that the saying is trustworthy.

585
00:25:48,785 --> 00:25:53,215
If anyone aspires to the office of
overseer, he desires a noble task.

586
00:25:53,640 --> 00:25:55,640
I connected this with the
beginning of our next verse here.

587
00:25:56,070 --> 00:26:00,780
He says, it's a noble task, therefore,
therefore, because it's a noble task,

588
00:26:00,780 --> 00:26:02,720
an overseer has to be above reproach.

589
00:26:03,460 --> 00:26:06,410
He has to be above reproach
because it's a noble task.

590
00:26:07,050 --> 00:26:09,760
If you think about what, actually,
let me, let me also take you to

591
00:26:09,760 --> 00:26:11,839
first Titus one, five through seven.

592
00:26:11,839 --> 00:26:14,739
So keep your finger in first Timothy
three, Titus one, five through seven.

593
00:26:14,739 --> 00:26:17,170
Here's what, here's what Paul says
to Titus about this same thing.

594
00:26:17,820 --> 00:26:20,680
He says this is why I left you in
Crete, so that you might put what

595
00:26:20,680 --> 00:26:23,840
remained in an order and appoint
elders in every town as I directed you.

596
00:26:24,290 --> 00:26:27,300
If anyone is above reproach, there
you see he starts the thought there.

597
00:26:27,480 --> 00:26:29,620
He begins a thought, he fills
it in with a lot of in between

598
00:26:29,620 --> 00:26:32,770
stuff, and then he concludes the
thought with for an overseer.

599
00:26:32,770 --> 00:26:36,169
The reason he has to be above
reproach is that he's God's steward.

600
00:26:36,220 --> 00:26:40,840
Verse 7, for an overseer as God's
steward must be above reproach.

601
00:26:41,030 --> 00:26:45,455
And so in 1 Timothy 3, You have it
saying, because it's a, it's a noble

602
00:26:45,455 --> 00:26:49,525
task, it's a good work, because it's
good, he has to be above reproach.

603
00:26:49,735 --> 00:26:53,584
Titus says, because he's God's
steward, he has to be above reproach.

604
00:26:54,125 --> 00:26:57,714
In both of these, we have the idea
of the, of the, the role and the

605
00:26:57,714 --> 00:27:00,305
work of a pastor as good, noble work.

606
00:27:00,314 --> 00:27:02,175
He's not working for himself.

607
00:27:02,234 --> 00:27:04,594
He's not looking for
glory and honor and money.

608
00:27:05,165 --> 00:27:06,235
He's working as God's steward.

609
00:27:06,235 --> 00:27:07,465
He is God's slave.

610
00:27:07,835 --> 00:27:09,055
It's God's household manager.

611
00:27:09,405 --> 00:27:11,274
You ought to think of yourself
in a very similar way.

612
00:27:11,650 --> 00:27:13,300
You're not just your own person.

613
00:27:13,300 --> 00:27:14,410
You belong to Christ.

614
00:27:14,410 --> 00:27:16,840
You were bought with a price,
1 Corinthians chapter 9 says.

615
00:27:17,030 --> 00:27:18,050
You don't belong to you.

616
00:27:18,270 --> 00:27:19,380
You are God's steward.

617
00:27:19,389 --> 00:27:22,650
You're in a different role, to be
sure, but you're still God's steward.

618
00:27:23,000 --> 00:27:26,040
Maybe less clear to someone else
than someone who calls themselves a

619
00:27:26,040 --> 00:27:27,900
pastor, but you're still God's steward.

620
00:27:28,790 --> 00:27:31,899
The work that God has called you to
is not that different from a pastor.

621
00:27:31,960 --> 00:27:38,359
It's different in role, yes, and perhaps
scope, but your role as men is pastor ish.

622
00:27:38,879 --> 00:27:43,200
It is pastor like, in that you are
called to shepherd and love your wives.

623
00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:45,650
You lead them, Ephesians chapter 5, right?

624
00:27:45,650 --> 00:27:49,250
Your call is to wash her with
the water of the word, so that

625
00:27:49,260 --> 00:27:50,980
she might reflect Christ's glory.

626
00:27:51,370 --> 00:27:53,040
Your job is to lead your family.

627
00:27:53,200 --> 00:27:56,120
You're to raise them up in the
discipline and instruction of the Lord.

628
00:27:56,120 --> 00:27:57,730
You're not to exasperate your children.

629
00:27:57,730 --> 00:28:00,230
Colossians 3, Ephesians chapter 5 as well.

630
00:28:00,330 --> 00:28:00,820
Uh, 4?

631
00:28:00,870 --> 00:28:01,610
No, 6.

632
00:28:01,700 --> 00:28:02,419
Thank you, 6.

633
00:28:03,609 --> 00:28:06,600
You have a lot of roles
that look pastor esque.

634
00:28:07,070 --> 00:28:10,490
And so even though you don't have the
title of pastor, your job is still

635
00:28:10,490 --> 00:28:13,190
to esteem what God has assigned here.

636
00:28:13,770 --> 00:28:14,830
Esteem the role.

637
00:28:15,280 --> 00:28:17,710
Think of one of the things that our
culture is going to struggle with

638
00:28:17,710 --> 00:28:19,770
is really her respect for authority.

639
00:28:19,969 --> 00:28:21,530
And there's a good reason why.

640
00:28:22,020 --> 00:28:26,280
And their highest offices, we have
people that we could say, okay, maybe

641
00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:30,470
not the best character, but has, has
good laws, things that we can agree with.

642
00:28:31,000 --> 00:28:34,289
Even, again, as I, as I pointed
out earlier, people look at pastors

643
00:28:34,290 --> 00:28:36,049
and they say, well, they're,
they're hypocrites as well.

644
00:28:36,250 --> 00:28:38,060
They look at the stats and say,
well, they're looking at porn

645
00:28:38,060 --> 00:28:40,100
just as much as the next guy,
so what difference does it make?

646
00:28:40,330 --> 00:28:43,020
They look at the church and say,
well, clearly doesn't matter.

647
00:28:43,495 --> 00:28:44,965
And so they despise authority.

648
00:28:45,185 --> 00:28:46,855
They reject the authority of the church.

649
00:28:46,855 --> 00:28:49,825
They, they look down upon it because
they see no distinction between

650
00:28:49,825 --> 00:28:51,375
their leaders and our leaders.

651
00:28:51,645 --> 00:28:53,205
And brothers, this ought not to be.

652
00:28:53,824 --> 00:28:54,675
This ought not to be.

653
00:28:55,245 --> 00:28:57,795
One of the things I'd like for
you to think about is not only the

654
00:28:57,795 --> 00:28:59,295
role of pastor as God's steward.

655
00:28:59,425 --> 00:29:02,075
His job is to steward
God's word and God's work.

656
00:29:02,305 --> 00:29:04,615
His, his job is to, his job is a good job.

657
00:29:04,615 --> 00:29:06,925
In fact, let me go back to, to,
to 1st Timothy for a second here.

658
00:29:06,925 --> 00:29:10,860
The word for noble, Noble is
often translated good or goodness.

659
00:29:11,090 --> 00:29:14,290
Other places the word noble
means honorable or beautiful.

660
00:29:14,560 --> 00:29:17,660
It modifies the word
ergon, the work, the task.

661
00:29:18,420 --> 00:29:22,520
And the idea here is that whoever
desires the task of pastor, whoever

662
00:29:22,520 --> 00:29:25,069
wants that and aspires to that, man,
that's, they're desiring a good thing.

663
00:29:25,069 --> 00:29:28,840
It'd be like if we're using modern day
ideas here, whoever desires to be a

664
00:29:28,840 --> 00:29:31,240
first responder desires a noble task.

665
00:29:31,410 --> 00:29:33,570
Few people go into that profession
thinking I'm going to make a

666
00:29:33,570 --> 00:29:34,809
million dollars a year, right?

667
00:29:34,810 --> 00:29:36,529
You go in there thinking
I want to help people.

668
00:29:37,165 --> 00:29:40,315
And so when you revive a person and
you're supporting them, you're giving them

669
00:29:40,525 --> 00:29:44,735
first care attention before they get to
their, the hospital, that's a noble job.

670
00:29:44,735 --> 00:29:49,325
In fact, we rightly esteemed and held up
the first responders during, during 2020.

671
00:29:49,744 --> 00:29:51,874
You know, they got discounts
at restaurants and, you

672
00:29:51,874 --> 00:29:52,624
know, we saluted them.

673
00:29:52,624 --> 00:29:55,995
We put flags up, we put their names on
banners over, over our bridges and things

674
00:29:55,995 --> 00:29:58,035
like that because the work is noble.

675
00:29:58,935 --> 00:30:01,735
We ought to see the work
of shepherding as noble.

676
00:30:01,775 --> 00:30:04,205
We ought to see God's leadership
as something that we, uh,

677
00:30:04,205 --> 00:30:06,345
we hold in high esteem.

678
00:30:07,255 --> 00:30:09,085
Comes with high standards,
but let's put it like this.

679
00:30:09,085 --> 00:30:09,535
Point number two.

680
00:30:09,535 --> 00:30:11,905
I want you to highly
esteem the pastoral office.

681
00:30:12,075 --> 00:30:15,575
I, I could have put this esteem,
God's leadership esteem, the

682
00:30:15,575 --> 00:30:17,405
leadership that God puts in place.

683
00:30:17,815 --> 00:30:21,505
Uh, someone once said, to be a good
leader, you have to be a good follower.

684
00:30:22,225 --> 00:30:26,815
You ought to esteem the leadership that
God puts in your life to hold it highly,

685
00:30:26,875 --> 00:30:28,495
to respect it, to highly regard it.

686
00:30:28,735 --> 00:30:32,555
This is what makes Christians different
than the world, because even though we

687
00:30:32,555 --> 00:30:34,625
might find a scoundrel in the pulpit.

688
00:30:34,985 --> 00:30:37,765
We're still gonna say we have such
a regard for God's leadership that

689
00:30:37,765 --> 00:30:39,515
we'll still esteem the office.

690
00:30:40,265 --> 00:30:43,275
And because we esteem the office,
we esteem the people in the office.

691
00:30:43,725 --> 00:30:45,825
And all you have to do is take
the trickle down effect, right?

692
00:30:46,685 --> 00:30:51,255
If, if your kids see you have
barbecued pastor after the service,

693
00:30:51,255 --> 00:30:53,144
like, Oh man, if I were Pastor
PJ, I wouldn't have said that.

694
00:30:53,590 --> 00:30:55,480
Man, can you believe he said,
what was he saying about that?

695
00:30:55,480 --> 00:30:57,800
What was he even talking about with
that, you know, the illustration?

696
00:30:57,800 --> 00:31:00,440
And he's always talking about
the, the big Texas sky again.

697
00:31:00,440 --> 00:31:00,830
Why would he,

698
00:31:11,349 --> 00:31:14,080
yeah, barbecued pasture after the
service, your kids are going to see

699
00:31:14,080 --> 00:31:16,920
something that maybe you don't intend
for them to understand, but they're

700
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:21,230
going to say, Oh, It's okay to despise
leadership as long as it's in private.

701
00:31:21,880 --> 00:31:24,650
It's okay to talk poorly about
them as long as it's done

702
00:31:24,920 --> 00:31:26,389
where, where he can't hear you.

703
00:31:27,060 --> 00:31:30,150
Our job as pastors is to
do the work of the Lord.

704
00:31:30,150 --> 00:31:31,260
We, we, we feel that.

705
00:31:31,610 --> 00:31:35,159
Your job as men of the church, leaders
in your families, and in your homes,

706
00:31:35,159 --> 00:31:39,919
and in your businesses, is to reflect
the kind of respect and deference that

707
00:31:39,919 --> 00:31:42,120
God wants you to have for his leaders.

708
00:31:42,670 --> 00:31:43,900
Because they do a noble work.

709
00:31:44,030 --> 00:31:44,980
They're God's stewards.

710
00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:45,980
They're God's stewards.

711
00:31:45,980 --> 00:31:49,555
It wouldn't be too different from
Supposing Kamala won, all right?

712
00:31:49,615 --> 00:31:53,005
I don't know, awful thought, but supposing
Kamala won, and let's say she heard good

713
00:31:53,005 --> 00:31:56,405
things about our church and she's going
to make a stop at our church next Sunday.

714
00:31:57,224 --> 00:32:00,695
Her and, uh, and her, her VP
at that point, forget his name

715
00:32:00,695 --> 00:32:01,794
already, thank God, right?

716
00:32:02,835 --> 00:32:03,685
Waltz, thank you.

717
00:32:05,294 --> 00:32:08,775
They want to stop by our church, whatever
reason, and let's just say Pastor Pete

718
00:32:08,775 --> 00:32:10,105
is like, yeah, thumbs up, come on over.

719
00:32:11,645 --> 00:32:14,335
They come to our church and
they come with a pomp and

720
00:32:14,335 --> 00:32:15,945
circumstance or playing the song.

721
00:32:16,805 --> 00:32:20,164
What's your response to an
administration that you likely despise?

722
00:32:20,580 --> 00:32:21,900
For whatever your reasons may be.

723
00:32:22,910 --> 00:32:27,110
I think, probably for most of us,
we'll pay respect to the office.

724
00:32:27,370 --> 00:32:28,340
Not because of the person.

725
00:32:28,770 --> 00:32:31,989
We may very much and strongly
disagree with the person, rightly so.

726
00:32:32,200 --> 00:32:35,219
But we're still going to stand and
offer our respect to the leadership.

727
00:32:35,850 --> 00:32:39,230
Not because we agree with her,
but because we respect the office.

728
00:32:39,660 --> 00:32:41,750
The office deserves our respect.

729
00:32:42,380 --> 00:32:45,150
Not very different from how we
think about the pastoral office.

730
00:32:45,220 --> 00:32:46,230
It deserves our respect.

731
00:32:46,880 --> 00:32:49,080
And the reason why is because
you're teaching yourself, you're

732
00:32:49,080 --> 00:32:51,830
leading yourself to say, I want to
esteem the things that God puts in

733
00:32:51,830 --> 00:32:53,310
my life, particularly her leaders.

734
00:32:53,760 --> 00:32:55,649
And when you think that way,
think about how that's going to

735
00:32:55,649 --> 00:32:56,739
affect your leadership at home.

736
00:32:56,740 --> 00:33:00,379
I want to lead my wife to respect the
leadership of God's, of God's church.

737
00:33:00,610 --> 00:33:02,550
Which means she's going to learn
to respect your leadership.

738
00:33:03,000 --> 00:33:05,260
Which means when your kids see you do
the same thing, they're going to say,

739
00:33:05,260 --> 00:33:06,890
oh, we respect leadership in our family.

740
00:33:06,950 --> 00:33:08,070
We respect mom's leadership.

741
00:33:08,070 --> 00:33:09,060
We respect dad's leadership.

742
00:33:10,555 --> 00:33:15,165
You're creating a context wherein you
think highly of leadership, not because

743
00:33:15,165 --> 00:33:18,065
the leadership is always perfect, but
because of who the leadership represents.

744
00:33:19,044 --> 00:33:20,004
That's an important thing for us.

745
00:33:20,005 --> 00:33:21,414
What does that look
like in a local church?

746
00:33:21,414 --> 00:33:24,304
Well, Paul has lots of texts
here that I think speak to this,

747
00:33:24,355 --> 00:33:25,675
to this principle pretty well.

748
00:33:25,855 --> 00:33:27,655
Let me just give it to you as
you're making your notes here.

749
00:33:27,655 --> 00:33:29,184
1st Timothy 5 17.

750
00:33:29,564 --> 00:33:32,215
Paul says, let the elders who
rule well be considered worthy of

751
00:33:32,215 --> 00:33:35,085
double honor, especially those who
labor in preaching and teaching.

752
00:33:35,675 --> 00:33:37,615
What does it look like to highly
esteem the pastoral office?

753
00:33:37,615 --> 00:33:38,555
Well, you paid them well.

754
00:33:38,565 --> 00:33:38,585
Yeah.

755
00:33:39,165 --> 00:33:40,625
So Paul says here, 1st Timothy 5.

756
00:33:40,795 --> 00:33:41,815
17, you take care of them.

757
00:33:42,255 --> 00:33:42,845
You take care of them.

758
00:33:43,925 --> 00:33:46,805
That's awkward for me to preach, I
know, but here, that's what it says.

759
00:33:47,445 --> 00:33:47,965
1st Timothy 5.

760
00:33:47,965 --> 00:33:49,545
19, here's another one for you.

761
00:33:49,865 --> 00:33:52,095
What does it look like to highly
esteem the pastoral office?

762
00:33:52,095 --> 00:33:55,455
He says this, do not admit a charge
against an elder except on the

763
00:33:55,474 --> 00:33:56,875
evidence of two or three witnesses.

764
00:33:57,435 --> 00:33:59,315
You give the leaders the
benefit of the doubt.

765
00:33:59,885 --> 00:34:03,465
It's not impossible for someone to level
a charge against Pastor PJ and myself.

766
00:34:03,485 --> 00:34:07,164
They say, well, you know, this person, you
know, they looked at my wife a funny way,

767
00:34:07,164 --> 00:34:08,414
or, you know, they're embezzling money.

768
00:34:09,364 --> 00:34:11,844
Being above reproach doesn't mean
people won't be unhappy with you.

769
00:34:11,844 --> 00:34:15,195
It does mean that when people throw a
charge against you, it shouldn't stick.

770
00:34:15,905 --> 00:34:18,545
And because you care about your pastors,
and you hopefully know them, and you know

771
00:34:18,545 --> 00:34:21,284
your own leaders, you can say, oh, that
doesn't fit with the person that I know.

772
00:34:22,065 --> 00:34:26,264
Not a, not a, not a, not a
perfect rule of thumb, we know.

773
00:34:26,724 --> 00:34:28,715
But certainly want to give our
leaders the benefit of the doubt.

774
00:34:28,724 --> 00:34:30,435
That's what Paul says in 1 Timothy 5, 19.

775
00:34:30,465 --> 00:34:32,465
To the point where you don't
want to admit a charge unless

776
00:34:32,465 --> 00:34:33,525
there's at least two witnesses.

777
00:34:33,935 --> 00:34:35,875
You're probably going to apply a
similar principle at your home.

778
00:34:36,534 --> 00:34:38,395
One kid says, well, this
person did this to me.

779
00:34:38,395 --> 00:34:38,705
Okay.

780
00:34:38,784 --> 00:34:39,594
Did anyone see it?

781
00:34:39,655 --> 00:34:40,475
How do you, how do we know?

782
00:34:40,505 --> 00:34:41,534
Are we sure that's what happened?

783
00:34:41,844 --> 00:34:43,725
Multiple layers of accountability there.

784
00:34:44,335 --> 00:34:46,165
Third, 1st Timothy 5.

785
00:34:46,165 --> 00:34:47,574
20, and let's do Titus 3.

786
00:34:47,574 --> 00:34:48,004
10.

787
00:34:48,005 --> 00:34:48,815
Let's put those together.

788
00:34:49,925 --> 00:34:51,054
Here's what 1st Timothy 5.

789
00:34:51,054 --> 00:34:51,375
20 says.

790
00:34:51,750 --> 00:34:55,040
As for those who persist in sin, he's
talking about elders, rebuke them in

791
00:34:55,040 --> 00:34:58,600
the presence of all so that the rest,
that is the church, may stand in fear.

792
00:34:59,210 --> 00:35:02,919
As for elders who persist in sin, rebuke
them in the presence of all so that the

793
00:35:02,919 --> 00:35:04,480
rest, the church, may stand in fear.

794
00:35:04,900 --> 00:35:06,540
You should expect accountability.

795
00:35:06,730 --> 00:35:10,250
We highly esteem the office, but we expect
accountability from the office as well.

796
00:35:10,670 --> 00:35:12,750
1 Timothy 5 says that
that's what should happen.

797
00:35:13,150 --> 00:35:16,670
A church that's practicing church
discipline will be able to say, look, we

798
00:35:16,670 --> 00:35:18,480
have high expectations of our pastors.

799
00:35:18,650 --> 00:35:22,159
Therefore, we want high estimation of our
pastors because we expect them to be held

800
00:35:22,160 --> 00:35:23,750
accountable for the work that they do.

801
00:35:24,380 --> 00:35:25,229
Titus 3.

802
00:35:25,230 --> 00:35:27,599
10, you might think, okay,
that's good for the pastor.

803
00:35:27,599 --> 00:35:28,520
What about the church?

804
00:35:28,849 --> 00:35:32,200
Here's how, here's how Paul tells
Pastor Titus to deal with the church.

805
00:35:32,670 --> 00:35:32,970
Titus 3.

806
00:35:32,970 --> 00:35:33,370
10.

807
00:35:34,240 --> 00:35:38,120
As for a person who stirs up division
after warning him once and then twice

808
00:35:38,140 --> 00:35:39,820
have nothing more to do with him.

809
00:35:39,900 --> 00:35:40,570
That's, that's.

810
00:35:41,400 --> 00:35:42,020
Church discipline.

811
00:35:42,630 --> 00:35:43,450
There's accountability.

812
00:35:43,910 --> 00:35:47,580
Because we highly esteem the
pastoral office, which his job is

813
00:35:47,580 --> 00:35:51,260
to oversee the church, to protect
the church, to keep her pure, his

814
00:35:51,260 --> 00:35:54,000
job is to also hold you accountable.

815
00:35:54,739 --> 00:35:58,520
Which might mean, if a pastor loves
you, he's going to confront you.

816
00:35:59,399 --> 00:36:02,860
If a pastor cares about you, he's going
to do the uncomfortable work of looking

817
00:36:02,860 --> 00:36:05,680
you in the eye and say, Hey, we haven't
been making it to church a lot lately.

818
00:36:06,000 --> 00:36:06,720
What's going on?

819
00:36:08,175 --> 00:36:10,555
Or, if you see some other sin tendency,
he's gonna come to you and say,

820
00:36:10,555 --> 00:36:12,945
Look, I care about you, and this is
awkward, I don't want to talk about

821
00:36:12,945 --> 00:36:16,105
this, but I need to ask you, are
you looking at online pornography?

822
00:36:16,115 --> 00:36:17,485
Are you doing that with some regularity?

823
00:36:17,825 --> 00:36:19,364
I have reason to believe
that, for whatever reason.

824
00:36:19,365 --> 00:36:20,715
Let's just say that's the situation here.

825
00:36:21,604 --> 00:36:22,694
How are you handling your money?

826
00:36:23,125 --> 00:36:25,454
I mean, these are conversations
that nobody wants to talk about.

827
00:36:25,455 --> 00:36:27,254
What are the rules of
social conversation, right?

828
00:36:27,494 --> 00:36:29,205
Don't talk about politics,
don't talk about religion.

829
00:36:29,865 --> 00:36:32,155
Your pastor, if he cares about you,
is gonna get into your kitchen,

830
00:36:32,155 --> 00:36:34,145
and it's gonna end up talking
about a lot of those things.

831
00:36:34,755 --> 00:36:36,995
Now, again, this is our modeling
of leadership, because this

832
00:36:36,995 --> 00:36:37,925
is what we want you to do.

833
00:36:38,530 --> 00:36:42,900
Good leadership is willing to lean
into confrontation for the good

834
00:36:42,900 --> 00:36:43,930
of the person that they're loving.

835
00:36:44,530 --> 00:36:47,530
That means your wife, young men,
when you marry someday, that means

836
00:36:47,530 --> 00:36:49,590
you're going to lean into your wife
and have conversations with her.

837
00:36:50,030 --> 00:36:51,960
And you're going to let her do the same
for you because you care about her.

838
00:36:52,610 --> 00:36:53,619
Means you're going to
do it with your kids.

839
00:36:53,930 --> 00:36:55,330
Means you're going to do
it with your brothers.

840
00:36:56,630 --> 00:37:00,800
Because we respect and admire, we respect
and esteem rather, the leadership,

841
00:37:00,900 --> 00:37:04,110
not only of the pastoral office, but
obviously of the great pastor, the great

842
00:37:04,110 --> 00:37:05,230
shepherd and overseer of our souls.

843
00:37:06,145 --> 00:37:09,905
Last, one, one more here, Titus 215,
highly esteeming the pastoral office

844
00:37:09,905 --> 00:37:11,625
will mean respecting their authority.

845
00:37:12,085 --> 00:37:12,905
Respecting authority.

846
00:37:13,175 --> 00:37:14,284
Again, this is the idea here.

847
00:37:14,285 --> 00:37:15,155
We're respecting authority.

848
00:37:15,155 --> 00:37:19,495
We're expecting to, um, to
demonstrate that with our lives.

849
00:37:19,794 --> 00:37:25,204
Paul says to Titus, declare these things,
exhort and rebuke with all authority.

850
00:37:25,255 --> 00:37:26,505
Let no one disregard you.

851
00:37:28,135 --> 00:37:30,785
Paul doesn't want Titus to
equivocate in his leadership.

852
00:37:31,320 --> 00:37:34,370
Well guys, we should, we should
love our enemies, uh, but, you know,

853
00:37:34,710 --> 00:37:35,800
maybe there's times they hate them.

854
00:37:36,120 --> 00:37:37,850
Paul doesn't want them to
be a double tongued man.

855
00:37:38,420 --> 00:37:43,350
Declare these things, speak them strongly,
exhort and rebuke with all authority.

856
00:37:43,820 --> 00:37:46,670
That is, he's calling you up to, to
rise to the occasion and he's also

857
00:37:46,670 --> 00:37:48,079
calling you out when he needs to.

858
00:37:48,640 --> 00:37:52,240
And again, he's modeling for you what
your job is as well on a smaller scale.

859
00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:55,840
Let no one disregard
you, Paul says to Titus.

860
00:37:56,230 --> 00:37:58,939
In other words, you're not a
carpet, you're not a rug, let

861
00:37:58,940 --> 00:38:00,090
no one just walk over you.

862
00:38:00,090 --> 00:38:01,370
Your job is to lead the church.

863
00:38:02,605 --> 00:38:04,755
Okay, we highly esteem
the pastoral office.

864
00:38:04,755 --> 00:38:08,585
We lead ourselves first, and part of how
we lead ourselves is we respect authority.

865
00:38:08,925 --> 00:38:09,955
We highly esteem that.

866
00:38:10,155 --> 00:38:13,185
We lead ourselves to cultivate godly
desires, and of course, uh, as we talk

867
00:38:13,185 --> 00:38:16,225
now about irreproachability, let's look at
how we lead ourselves in this particular

868
00:38:16,225 --> 00:38:20,965
area, which is of great concern and of
waning, um, and it's waning in the church.

869
00:38:21,195 --> 00:38:24,945
Here's what he says, 1 Timothy chapter 3,
verses 1 and 2, the saying is trustworthy

870
00:38:24,945 --> 00:38:28,445
if anyone aspires to the office of
overseer, he desires a noble task.

871
00:38:29,445 --> 00:38:32,224
Because it's a noble task, because
he's got a steward, therefore.

872
00:38:32,825 --> 00:38:35,515
An overseer must be above reproach.

873
00:38:36,165 --> 00:38:38,095
Oh, that's such a good
word, irreproachability.

874
00:38:38,455 --> 00:38:39,715
Titus, again, here's how he says it.

875
00:38:40,025 --> 00:38:43,654
He says, This is why I left you in
Crete, to appoint elders in every town.

876
00:38:43,665 --> 00:38:46,095
Verse 6, If anyone is above reproach.

877
00:38:46,325 --> 00:38:48,425
And then he kind of talks a
little bit about what that is.

878
00:38:49,045 --> 00:38:52,365
Above reproach, here in Titus chapter
1, is the husband of one wife.

879
00:38:52,665 --> 00:38:56,095
Children are believers, not open to the
charge of debauchery and subordination.

880
00:38:56,465 --> 00:38:58,965
An overseer, as God's steward,
must be above reproach.

881
00:38:58,965 --> 00:39:00,265
You see the principle at work here.

882
00:39:00,635 --> 00:39:05,035
The leader leads himself, and as a natural
consequence, he's leading his family.

883
00:39:05,155 --> 00:39:09,085
And if he can demonstrate leadership of
his family, well then, he's now qualified

884
00:39:09,085 --> 00:39:10,695
to be considered to lead the church.

885
00:39:11,404 --> 00:39:12,324
It makes perfect sense.

886
00:39:12,324 --> 00:39:15,455
He who is faithful in little is
faithful in much, Jesus says.

887
00:39:15,825 --> 00:39:18,784
Therefore, your job and mine is to
make sure that when we think about

888
00:39:18,794 --> 00:39:21,405
being above reproach, we're not
thinking about something so far off

889
00:39:21,405 --> 00:39:24,455
and so impossible to reach that we
automatically dismiss ourselves.

890
00:39:24,465 --> 00:39:25,365
He's saying, no, be faithful.

891
00:39:25,885 --> 00:39:28,425
Effective leaders lead themselves
first, and it starts with you leading

892
00:39:28,425 --> 00:39:31,725
you, but then it naturally includes
the people that you love, leading the

893
00:39:31,735 --> 00:39:33,285
people that God has entrusted to you.

894
00:39:35,035 --> 00:39:37,335
That's what it, a little bit of what
it means to lead themselves first.

895
00:39:38,655 --> 00:39:40,704
You see this word also used
in Colossians chapter 1.

896
00:39:40,704 --> 00:39:41,324
This is important.

897
00:39:43,375 --> 00:39:47,875
Paul says to the Colossian church, you
who once alienated, hostile in mind,

898
00:39:48,905 --> 00:39:55,055
doing evil deeds, Jesus has now reconciled
in his body of flesh, by his death, in

899
00:39:55,085 --> 00:40:00,015
order, that is for the purpose of, he
died on the cross, In order to present

900
00:40:00,015 --> 00:40:03,915
you holy and blameless, and here's
our word, above reproach before him.

901
00:40:04,475 --> 00:40:07,725
So now you notice that this is
removed from the area of pastors and

902
00:40:07,725 --> 00:40:09,405
now to the area of the parishioner.

903
00:40:09,844 --> 00:40:12,504
It goes from the leaders to the
body of Christ, which is you and me.

904
00:40:12,505 --> 00:40:13,745
So this is one you can't escape.

905
00:40:14,234 --> 00:40:15,955
This is the reason that he died for you.

906
00:40:16,264 --> 00:40:20,295
The purpose of Jesus death was to
make you holy, or as he puts it here,

907
00:40:20,825 --> 00:40:22,795
holy, blameless, and above reproach.

908
00:40:24,195 --> 00:40:27,245
Paul tells Timothy in his,
in his, His letter here.

909
00:40:27,245 --> 00:40:27,925
Here's something interesting.

910
00:40:27,925 --> 00:40:30,935
He says, I charge you to keep
the commandment unstained.

911
00:40:30,945 --> 00:40:34,015
That is, to keep the Word of God, the
things that you're preaching, to let

912
00:40:34,015 --> 00:40:36,675
it be pure and free from reproach.

913
00:40:36,685 --> 00:40:40,495
Same word underneath this, until the
appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.

914
00:40:40,495 --> 00:40:41,765
It is until Jesus comes back.

915
00:40:41,995 --> 00:40:45,415
Your life, Timothy, your job is
to preach the Word and to do it

916
00:40:45,415 --> 00:40:49,095
in such a way that the preaching
of it is not stained or sullied.

917
00:40:49,595 --> 00:40:50,705
How do you do that, you might ask?

918
00:40:50,705 --> 00:40:51,985
How does Timothy supposed to do that?

919
00:40:52,155 --> 00:40:54,424
And I would argue that the way
he does that is from the context.

920
00:40:55,010 --> 00:40:58,270
Paul tells Titus, look, here's
what I want you to do, man of God,

921
00:40:58,500 --> 00:41:01,750
flee the things, sexual morality,
sensualities, flee love for money.

922
00:41:02,480 --> 00:41:07,630
Instead, pursue righteousness, godliness,
faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness,

923
00:41:08,130 --> 00:41:11,200
fight the good fight of faith, take hold
of the eternal life to which you were

924
00:41:11,200 --> 00:41:14,140
called and about which you have been made,
about which you made the good confession

925
00:41:14,380 --> 00:41:15,620
in the presence of many witnesses.

926
00:41:15,860 --> 00:41:19,200
I charge you, keep the commandment
unstained and free from approach.

927
00:41:19,920 --> 00:41:23,580
I see here in this paragraph, this
pericope of information, I see Paul

928
00:41:23,580 --> 00:41:26,970
saying, look, the way that you keep it
unstained and free from approach is that

929
00:41:26,970 --> 00:41:30,890
your life demonstrates the qualities
that the scripture testifies to.

930
00:41:31,720 --> 00:41:34,430
If you're preaching qualities that
your life does not display, then

931
00:41:34,460 --> 00:41:35,530
I think you're doing it wrong.

932
00:41:36,150 --> 00:41:38,220
Paul's saying, like, I charge
you to keep the commandment

933
00:41:38,290 --> 00:41:39,750
unstained, free from reproach.

934
00:41:40,230 --> 00:41:43,279
By maintaining a life of blameless
excellence, that's what it

935
00:41:43,280 --> 00:41:44,460
means to be above reproach.

936
00:41:44,939 --> 00:41:49,019
Does not mean perfection, but it does
mean your life testifies to the glory

937
00:41:49,019 --> 00:41:50,240
of God by the way that you live.

938
00:41:50,529 --> 00:41:53,200
Point number three, let's
fight not to sully the gospel

939
00:41:53,200 --> 00:41:54,300
with the compromised life.

940
00:41:55,220 --> 00:41:59,250
Above reproach, irreproachability
means that I recognize My life has the

941
00:41:59,250 --> 00:42:04,690
power to both testify and adorn the
doctrine of God or it has the power to

942
00:42:04,770 --> 00:42:07,019
undermine everything that we hold dear.

943
00:42:07,710 --> 00:42:10,679
It's so important, Paul says, Colossians
chapter 1, let me remind you as we

944
00:42:10,679 --> 00:42:15,029
just looked at, that your reason for
being saved is to be above reproach.

945
00:42:15,249 --> 00:42:19,390
And therefore, I never want Jesus to
get a black eye because of my life.

946
00:42:20,060 --> 00:42:22,020
Now, brothers, I gotta
tell you, I'm scared.

947
00:42:22,020 --> 00:42:26,360
When I see people in public sin in
such obvious and terrifying ways,

948
00:42:26,360 --> 00:42:27,529
I think, man, I could do that.

949
00:42:28,825 --> 00:42:32,615
Lord, keep me far away from areas where
I know I can sin and dishonor Christ.

950
00:42:33,265 --> 00:42:37,515
I look at them and I shudder because
I know these men at one point were

951
00:42:37,515 --> 00:42:39,804
doing Bible studies and they're sitting
with other brothers and saying, man,

952
00:42:39,804 --> 00:42:43,255
I love the Lord and I want to do the
right thing and, and maybe they did.

953
00:42:43,554 --> 00:42:47,265
Maybe for many years they did until one
day they compromised just a little and

954
00:42:47,265 --> 00:42:50,505
then a little more and then a little more
and then suddenly it's not just their

955
00:42:50,505 --> 00:42:51,445
name that's dragged through the mud.

956
00:42:52,175 --> 00:42:52,825
It's their Savior.

957
00:42:53,845 --> 00:42:54,945
Their Savior's dragged in the mud.

958
00:42:55,264 --> 00:42:57,755
Jesus now looks less
glorious because of my sin.

959
00:42:58,730 --> 00:43:02,370
Jesus now looks like he's not worth
the time because clearly sex or

960
00:43:02,370 --> 00:43:04,320
money or power was better than Jesus.

961
00:43:04,890 --> 00:43:09,230
He wasn't strong enough to hold the heart
of that man such that that man stayed

962
00:43:09,239 --> 00:43:13,130
true to Christ over and against everything
else that he could possibly have.

963
00:43:14,170 --> 00:43:14,909
That terrifies me.

964
00:43:16,360 --> 00:43:17,419
I can't help but think of the song.

965
00:43:17,430 --> 00:43:18,869
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it.

966
00:43:18,869 --> 00:43:20,019
Prone to leave the God I love.

967
00:43:21,089 --> 00:43:23,439
Take this heart, Lord, and steal it.

968
00:43:23,869 --> 00:43:25,159
Steal it to thy throne above.

969
00:43:25,960 --> 00:43:26,690
I feel that.

970
00:43:26,750 --> 00:43:27,240
I want that.

971
00:43:27,240 --> 00:43:28,130
And I want you to feel that.

972
00:43:28,540 --> 00:43:30,930
I want you not to think of yourself
like, man, I could never fall.

973
00:43:30,940 --> 00:43:32,870
I'm impervious to temptation.

974
00:43:32,900 --> 00:43:34,090
I don't think any of us would think that.

975
00:43:34,459 --> 00:43:36,889
But sometimes the way that we
live gives that impression.

976
00:43:38,200 --> 00:43:40,099
I don't want you to solely the
gospel with the compromised life.

977
00:43:42,230 --> 00:43:44,199
My family and I, before we left
California, tried to hit up a

978
00:43:44,199 --> 00:43:47,090
couple big locations that were
on our docket of things to do.

979
00:43:47,560 --> 00:43:50,500
One of those places was a
Nixon library, Nixon museum.

980
00:43:51,110 --> 00:43:53,250
So we went there and we
had, we had a fun time.

981
00:43:53,270 --> 00:43:56,200
Well, at least Kristen and
I did probably not the kids.

982
00:43:57,280 --> 00:43:58,529
Um, they made us wear masks.

983
00:43:59,200 --> 00:44:00,920
Because that was the
leadership at the time.

984
00:44:02,000 --> 00:44:06,510
Uh, but one thing that I noticed is
that one big part of the museum is

985
00:44:06,510 --> 00:44:07,870
exactly what you'd expect it to be.

986
00:44:08,199 --> 00:44:09,789
There was a whole section.

987
00:44:10,110 --> 00:44:11,500
A large section.

988
00:44:11,779 --> 00:44:13,760
And I think, if I remember
right, it was near the front.

989
00:44:14,090 --> 00:44:16,570
A large section called
the Watergate Scandal.

990
00:44:16,649 --> 00:44:20,410
Now, of course, many of you guys
remember in the early 70s, Nixon hired

991
00:44:20,410 --> 00:44:24,690
thugs to go into the Watergate Hotel,
break into the Democratic National

992
00:44:24,690 --> 00:44:28,360
Committee's offices, and try to set up
bugs and cameras, but they called the

993
00:44:28,360 --> 00:44:29,879
police on them at just the right time.

994
00:44:30,100 --> 00:44:32,899
They were busted, and then over the
course of months, it was come to,

995
00:44:32,949 --> 00:44:36,580
they came to conclude that these
guys were actually hired by Nixon.

996
00:44:36,789 --> 00:44:38,830
Well, not directly, but
by his administration.

997
00:44:39,430 --> 00:44:42,460
You might remember also that Nixon made
a TV appearance and said, I think the

998
00:44:42,460 --> 00:44:45,040
American people deserve to know whether
or not their president is a crook.

999
00:44:45,500 --> 00:44:46,810
He says, well, I'm not a crook.

1000
00:44:47,310 --> 00:44:47,920
I'm not a crook.

1001
00:44:48,585 --> 00:44:50,065
I've never obstructed justice.

1002
00:44:50,085 --> 00:44:51,425
Everything I have, I earned.

1003
00:44:51,815 --> 00:44:53,785
And he stood there and looked
the American people in the

1004
00:44:53,785 --> 00:44:55,605
eye and said, I'm not a crook.

1005
00:44:56,585 --> 00:44:57,675
And what is he remembered for?

1006
00:44:58,674 --> 00:44:59,825
Being the exact opposite.

1007
00:45:00,475 --> 00:45:01,295
He's, he was a crook.

1008
00:45:02,415 --> 00:45:06,044
And he was one of the presidents that,
uh, stepped out, I think the only

1009
00:45:06,045 --> 00:45:08,845
president that stepped out of office
voluntarily before he was impeached.

1010
00:45:09,624 --> 00:45:15,094
Uh, he is such a good example for us of
how the truth eventually does come out.

1011
00:45:16,265 --> 00:45:19,055
And if there is sin in your life
that to this point you've harbored

1012
00:45:19,055 --> 00:45:21,485
and thought that you've kept it
secret, maybe today is a good day

1013
00:45:21,485 --> 00:45:23,315
to confess that and renounce that.

1014
00:45:23,585 --> 00:45:26,375
Because here's what Jesus says,
he says, nothing is covered

1015
00:45:26,375 --> 00:45:27,845
up that will not be revealed.

1016
00:45:28,385 --> 00:45:30,545
Nothing is hidden that will not be known.

1017
00:45:31,515 --> 00:45:35,745
Ecclesiastes, the very last, the very
last verse in Ecclesiastes says, God

1018
00:45:35,745 --> 00:45:37,605
will bring every deed in the judgment.

1019
00:45:38,145 --> 00:45:40,005
In fact, the verse before
this, he says, fear God.

1020
00:45:40,395 --> 00:45:42,255
Fear God and keep the commandments.

1021
00:45:42,405 --> 00:45:43,505
Why for God.

1022
00:45:44,225 --> 00:45:47,465
It's gonna bring every deed and a
judgment with every secret thing,

1023
00:45:47,465 --> 00:45:53,045
whether good or evil, your life will at
some point be fla open and your heart

1024
00:45:53,435 --> 00:45:55,535
and your works will be made evidenced.

1025
00:45:56,525 --> 00:45:59,375
I tell my sons all the time, if
God loves you, he will expose you.

1026
00:46:00,255 --> 00:46:01,815
And I know that from Hebrews chapter 12.

1027
00:46:01,815 --> 00:46:05,775
God disciplines those whom he loves
as a father, the son and whom delights

1028
00:46:06,075 --> 00:46:09,045
in the same way that we who are
fathers know what it is to discipline

1029
00:46:09,045 --> 00:46:12,315
our sons and our daughters for doing
something silly or foolish, sinful.

1030
00:46:13,605 --> 00:46:15,015
God does the same for us.

1031
00:46:16,080 --> 00:46:17,250
Hebrews, in fact says it this way.

1032
00:46:17,250 --> 00:46:22,110
He says, our father disciplined
us, uh, the best They knew how

1033
00:46:22,110 --> 00:46:23,490
I'm using modern vernacular.

1034
00:46:23,940 --> 00:46:26,490
They dis, they disciplined
us as it seemed best to them.

1035
00:46:26,940 --> 00:46:28,380
But our father disciplines us.

1036
00:46:28,380 --> 00:46:31,080
He says, um, that we may
share in his holiness.

1037
00:46:31,290 --> 00:46:32,730
In other words, he
disciplines us perfectly.

1038
00:46:32,730 --> 00:46:35,850
And one of the disciplines of his
hand is that he might remove from

1039
00:46:35,850 --> 00:46:38,670
us the allowance to be covered.

1040
00:46:39,330 --> 00:46:44,700
There is a season where God will tolerate
your sin and he'll let you have it, but.

1041
00:46:45,160 --> 00:46:47,210
Doesn't mean his patience is infinite.

1042
00:46:47,350 --> 00:46:50,220
Someday, he's gonna pull the cover
off of you, and if you say, if you

1043
00:46:50,220 --> 00:46:52,590
continue to say, God, I'm just gonna
keep doing this sin, someday he's just

1044
00:46:52,590 --> 00:46:54,270
gonna, okay, I'm gonna expose you.

1045
00:46:55,189 --> 00:46:58,640
Much like the men who participated
in the Ashley Madison scandal.

1046
00:46:59,130 --> 00:47:01,279
They went to the website,
they signed up for accounts,

1047
00:47:01,490 --> 00:47:02,529
they're looking for an affair.

1048
00:47:02,530 --> 00:47:03,884
Some of them high profile men.

1049
00:47:04,475 --> 00:47:07,725
They thought their secret was safe
with Ashley Madison until someone

1050
00:47:07,725 --> 00:47:11,515
broke into the Ashley Madison archives
and their databases and threatened to

1051
00:47:11,515 --> 00:47:13,325
expose them, which of course they did.

1052
00:47:13,785 --> 00:47:14,995
Men killed themselves.

1053
00:47:14,995 --> 00:47:18,125
Men left the ministry because they
were exposed, and I think that

1054
00:47:18,125 --> 00:47:20,005
was a great mercy for those men.

1055
00:47:20,395 --> 00:47:20,904
It's a mercy.

1056
00:47:21,905 --> 00:47:22,304
It's a mercy.

1057
00:47:22,325 --> 00:47:25,775
As awful as that is, that was a mercy
because they were given the opportunity

1058
00:47:25,775 --> 00:47:27,095
to repent before it was too late.

1059
00:47:28,365 --> 00:47:28,895
God loves you.

1060
00:47:28,895 --> 00:47:29,725
He will expose you.

1061
00:47:30,215 --> 00:47:31,975
Far better for you to
expose yourself, though.

1062
00:47:32,440 --> 00:47:35,420
Because you don't want to compromise
your life and give Christ a black eye.

1063
00:47:36,510 --> 00:47:38,460
I recently read something
that shook me to the core.

1064
00:47:38,720 --> 00:47:39,450
I read it last year.

1065
00:47:39,450 --> 00:47:40,639
I reminded myself about it last year.

1066
00:47:40,639 --> 00:47:42,410
I have it in your notes
and your questions here.

1067
00:47:42,670 --> 00:47:44,149
So just take a look with me and, and read.

1068
00:47:44,389 --> 00:47:45,669
Uh, D.

1069
00:47:45,670 --> 00:47:45,750
A.

1070
00:47:45,750 --> 00:47:49,329
Carson, one of my favorite scholars,
uh, writes about King Hezekiah's fall.

1071
00:47:49,360 --> 00:47:50,530
And then here, here he says this.

1072
00:47:51,409 --> 00:48:02,885
He says, But I mean them.

1073
00:48:03,615 --> 00:48:06,575
I would rather die than end
up unfaithful to my wife.

1074
00:48:07,135 --> 00:48:11,065
I would rather die than deny
by a profligate life what

1075
00:48:11,065 --> 00:48:12,035
I have taught in my books.

1076
00:48:12,474 --> 00:48:15,425
I would rather die than
deny or disown the gospel.

1077
00:48:16,115 --> 00:48:19,994
God knows there are many things in
my past of which I am deeply ashamed.

1078
00:48:20,585 --> 00:48:23,595
I would not want such shame
to multiply and bring dishonor

1079
00:48:23,595 --> 00:48:24,785
to Christ in years to come.

1080
00:48:25,335 --> 00:48:27,585
There are worse things than dying.

1081
00:48:28,554 --> 00:48:29,785
There are worse things than dying, man.

1082
00:48:30,310 --> 00:48:33,110
And that's got to be your
mindset if you're going to live

1083
00:48:33,110 --> 00:48:34,430
a life of irreproachability.

1084
00:48:34,810 --> 00:48:36,680
I would rather die than deny Christ.

1085
00:48:36,680 --> 00:48:39,400
I would rather die than
be unfaithful to my wife.

1086
00:48:40,290 --> 00:48:43,659
I think that's a wise and good
posture for each of us to adopt.

1087
00:48:44,400 --> 00:48:47,979
Really quickly then, it's important
you know this call to be above

1088
00:48:47,980 --> 00:48:49,270
reproach is not impossible.

1089
00:48:49,400 --> 00:48:50,490
Let me just give you several names.

1090
00:48:50,710 --> 00:48:53,949
Job was blameless and upright before God.

1091
00:48:53,950 --> 00:48:55,370
Feared God, walking in the commandments.

1092
00:48:55,620 --> 00:48:57,520
Noah was blameless in his generation.

1093
00:48:58,080 --> 00:49:00,160
God spoke about him
specifically as blameless.

1094
00:49:00,400 --> 00:49:03,180
Daniel, his enemies couldn't
find fault in the guy.

1095
00:49:03,200 --> 00:49:03,990
Think about that.

1096
00:49:04,510 --> 00:49:06,410
He never rode his camel
above the speed limit.

1097
00:49:06,770 --> 00:49:08,230
He always kept his
registration up to date.

1098
00:49:08,249 --> 00:49:09,840
I mean, the guy was
just impeccable, right?

1099
00:49:10,249 --> 00:49:11,080
He was a good dude.

1100
00:49:11,629 --> 00:49:13,929
Such that his enemies, who were
looking for skeletons in the

1101
00:49:13,929 --> 00:49:16,560
closet, couldn't identify anything
except for the law of God.

1102
00:49:16,560 --> 00:49:18,980
So like, okay, let's just, let's just
make a decree that he can't pray to God.

1103
00:49:19,010 --> 00:49:19,490
That'll get him.

1104
00:49:21,365 --> 00:49:22,635
Let's call evil good and good evil.

1105
00:49:22,635 --> 00:49:23,185
That'll get Daniel.

1106
00:49:23,195 --> 00:49:24,835
That's a pretty impressive
thing to say about somebody.

1107
00:49:25,115 --> 00:49:26,265
Zechariah and Elizabeth.

1108
00:49:26,275 --> 00:49:28,255
This is interesting because
they were called righteous

1109
00:49:28,265 --> 00:49:30,674
before God, walking blamelessly.

1110
00:49:30,684 --> 00:49:34,474
A husband and wife duo were, were
honored by scriptures saying that they

1111
00:49:34,474 --> 00:49:37,824
were, uh, they, they walked righteous
before God and they were blameless.

1112
00:49:38,174 --> 00:49:39,225
And what did God do for them?

1113
00:49:39,225 --> 00:49:40,615
Well, he gave them John the Baptist.

1114
00:49:41,525 --> 00:49:43,985
One of my friends, when I, when
I, uh, I was celebrating one of my

1115
00:49:43,985 --> 00:49:45,595
anniversaries, he sent me this thing here.

1116
00:49:46,225 --> 00:49:47,065
And I never, I saved it.

1117
00:49:47,125 --> 00:49:47,505
I saved it.

1118
00:49:47,845 --> 00:49:50,305
It's, it's, uh, 40
consequences of adultery.

1119
00:49:50,745 --> 00:49:52,945
And, uh, maybe you could read
this list at some point in time.

1120
00:49:52,945 --> 00:49:53,635
It's, it's worth it.

1121
00:49:54,085 --> 00:49:57,035
Uh, but it's a really sobering exercise of
saying, man, if I, if I were unfaithful,

1122
00:49:57,035 --> 00:49:58,284
here are all the things that would happen.

1123
00:49:59,714 --> 00:50:02,604
All the thing, all the fallout,
all, all of the, all the people

1124
00:50:02,605 --> 00:50:05,005
that would be bruised, beaten.

1125
00:50:05,555 --> 00:50:07,585
Uh, there's a saying, strike the
shepherd and the sheep will scatter.

1126
00:50:07,585 --> 00:50:08,305
That's what Jesus says.

1127
00:50:09,060 --> 00:50:12,500
Imagine the fallout of your life as
a shepherd, as a leader, as a man,

1128
00:50:12,500 --> 00:50:15,270
as a husband, as a grandfather,
as a, as a whatever role you are.

1129
00:50:15,470 --> 00:50:18,730
Imagine the fallout of your
sin, vivid and in detail.

1130
00:50:18,730 --> 00:50:20,129
I think that's what this blog does for me.

1131
00:50:20,460 --> 00:50:23,330
And then think about the men that
God, God says, look, be blameless,

1132
00:50:23,330 --> 00:50:24,560
be upright, be that kind of man.

1133
00:50:25,739 --> 00:50:27,470
And think about the kind
of legacy that could lead.

1134
00:50:28,280 --> 00:50:32,270
What kind of life would a church
have if her men were above reproach?

1135
00:50:32,865 --> 00:50:35,505
What kind of influence
would she be bestowed with?

1136
00:50:35,505 --> 00:50:40,015
What kind of benefit would God give to a
church of men that loved the Lord their

1137
00:50:40,015 --> 00:50:42,565
God with all of their heart, soul, mind,
and strength and lived above reproach?

1138
00:50:43,375 --> 00:50:46,265
I can only imagine that God
will tremendously bless that

1139
00:50:46,265 --> 00:50:47,484
group of men and that church.

1140
00:50:47,794 --> 00:50:49,084
The wives would blossom.

1141
00:50:49,384 --> 00:50:53,104
The sons and daughters would
grow to maturity, having many

1142
00:50:53,104 --> 00:50:55,095
examples of godly and mature men.

1143
00:50:55,695 --> 00:50:57,075
That's the kind of church
that we want to be.

1144
00:50:57,325 --> 00:50:58,825
It's the kind of men that
we want you to become.

1145
00:50:59,305 --> 00:51:01,225
So we want you to prayerfully
pursue irreproachability.

1146
00:51:01,875 --> 00:51:04,365
We want you to be qualified, even
if you never become a pastor.

1147
00:51:04,735 --> 00:51:08,005
Pastors are called to lead, and you're
called to follow after the leadership.

1148
00:51:08,585 --> 00:51:11,395
And what God wants from all of us,
not just the leaders who are in the

1149
00:51:11,395 --> 00:51:15,374
pulpit, but for all of us, He wants us
to learn how to lead ourselves first.

1150
00:51:15,594 --> 00:51:17,234
Effective leaders lead themselves first.

1151
00:51:17,235 --> 00:51:19,395
That's what God's, that's
what God's qualifications

1152
00:51:19,405 --> 00:51:20,995
ultimately say, in a nutshell.

1153
00:51:21,455 --> 00:51:23,665
We'll expand more on this in the
coming months, but until then, let's

1154
00:51:23,675 --> 00:51:26,075
pray, and I'll dismiss you to your
small groups to have a, hopefully,

1155
00:51:26,075 --> 00:51:27,215
a good conversation about this.

1156
00:51:27,804 --> 00:51:30,505
God, give us the grace to be the kind
of men that we, that we read about.

1157
00:51:31,180 --> 00:51:34,040
We want to be like all the men
that we listed previously, Job, and

1158
00:51:34,040 --> 00:51:37,240
Noah, and Daniel, Zechariah, and
Elizabeth, and even the deacons.

1159
00:51:37,270 --> 00:51:40,510
The deacons are called to be blameless,
and upright, and above reproach as well.

1160
00:51:40,905 --> 00:51:43,855
Help us to be the kind of men
that can be called above reproach.

1161
00:51:44,105 --> 00:51:46,445
We know that none of us are
perfect, Lord, and some of us feel

1162
00:51:46,445 --> 00:51:47,575
that more acutely than others.

1163
00:51:47,965 --> 00:51:50,965
Help us to deal with our tender
conscience, but not to be discouraged,

1164
00:51:51,165 --> 00:51:53,995
but to doggedly pursue excellence of life.

1165
00:51:54,484 --> 00:51:56,984
Having our phones and our
computers, if people were to look

1166
00:51:56,984 --> 00:51:58,064
at them, we wouldn't be ashamed.

1167
00:51:58,525 --> 00:52:01,655
Having our, our money, our bank accounts,
if people looked at our bank accounts,

1168
00:52:01,885 --> 00:52:03,065
none of us would be embarrassed.

1169
00:52:03,975 --> 00:52:07,255
If people looked at the way that we
talk to our wives or they had recorded

1170
00:52:07,255 --> 00:52:10,615
conversations or the way that we talk
to our kids or the other people that

1171
00:52:10,615 --> 00:52:14,274
know us best, Lord, let us not be
ashamed, but let, let it be that people

1172
00:52:14,275 --> 00:52:16,445
who know us best respect us the most.

1173
00:52:17,115 --> 00:52:20,435
Let that kind of life, that kind of
integrity characterize all of us.

1174
00:52:21,005 --> 00:52:22,265
Lord, forgive us where we fall short.

1175
00:52:22,464 --> 00:52:25,405
We know none of us is perfect,
but we aim to be that Lord.

1176
00:52:25,425 --> 00:52:26,485
We're aspiring to be that.

1177
00:52:26,505 --> 00:52:29,235
Help us to be the kind of men
that you can entrust with great

1178
00:52:29,255 --> 00:52:30,695
leadership and great responsibility.

1179
00:52:31,325 --> 00:52:32,604
We ask all these things in Jesus name.

1180
00:52:32,975 --> 00:52:33,295
Amen.