WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:15.400 Turn with me once again, and I will read this passage that’s becoming more familiar each week. 2 00:00:15.400 --> 00:00:39.540 We’re going to be looking at verses 6 and 7 this morning, and this will finish up the little section on the qualification of elders or pastors, those who oversee a church. 3 00:00:39.540 --> 00:00:49.620 This is God’s holy, inerrant word, beginning in 1 Timothy chapter 3, verse 1. 4 00:00:49.620 --> 00:00:52.280 It is a trustworthy statement. 5 00:00:52.280 --> 00:00:58.160 If any man aspires to the office of overseer, it’s a fine work he desires to do. 6 00:00:58.160 --> 00:01:17.260 An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, free from the love of money. 7 00:01:17.260 --> 00:01:23.540 He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity. 8 00:01:23.540 --> 00:01:31.160 But if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God? 9 00:01:31.160 --> 00:01:38.700 And not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. 10 00:01:38.700 --> 00:01:49.400 And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. 11 00:01:49.400 --> 00:01:53.580 Let me ask the Lord to bless the reading of this word today. 12 00:01:53.580 --> 00:01:58.060 Father, we thank you for the truth of your holy word. 13 00:01:58.060 --> 00:02:20.740 And Father, we thank you that as we recognize the truth of this word, for instructions given to churches, to your church, Father, that you give us the guidelines, you teach us, you help us to understand exactly what you want from us. 14 00:02:20.740 --> 00:02:51.880 And Father, as we look at these guidelines once again for those who oversee your church, we recognize, Father, that these are truths that should be true of all of us, that those who lead the church should be leading each of us into these same qualities, that this should become our nature given to us as we experience the truth of your word and as the truth of your word is applied to our hearts by your Spirit. 15 00:02:51.880 --> 00:03:07.080 So today, Lord, we ask that as we look at this, we would understand truth that you have for us when it comes to leadership in a church, how that differs from the way it works in the world. 16 00:03:07.080 --> 00:03:23.740 And we pray, Lord, that as we come to understand, and Father, as we look into ourselves, that you would use these words to sanctify us, to perfect us, to make us more the people of God that we ought to be. 17 00:03:23.740 --> 00:03:26.320 Please bless us in these ways today. 18 00:03:26.320 --> 00:03:29.920 Thank you, Father, for the truth of your word. 19 00:03:29.920 --> 00:03:34.300 Speak this word into our hearts today by the power of your Spirit, we pray. 20 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:40.020 In Jesus’ name, amen. 21 00:03:40.020 --> 00:03:57.700 Well, there’s a great deal in this passage that we just read when it talks about the qualifications of an overseer, an elder, or a pastor of a church. 22 00:03:57.700 --> 00:04:07.920 It starts out by saying that if you desire that office, it’s something good that you’re looking to. 23 00:04:07.920 --> 00:04:12.820 And then it starts listing the standards, beginning with above reproach . 24 00:04:12.820 --> 00:04:17.000 And that literally means I can’t be taken down. 25 00:04:17.000 --> 00:04:22.760 I mean, Satan can’t take you down because there’s nothing to get a grip on you with. 26 00:04:22.760 --> 00:04:25.220 That’s the idea behind that word. 27 00:04:25.220 --> 00:04:36.200 And then it gives all these character qualities that should be true in good measure in any man who aspires to the office of an elder. 28 00:04:36.200 --> 00:04:42.820 And all of these things, it seems, why is this so necessary? 29 00:04:42.820 --> 00:04:50.330 Well, as we closed out last week, it is God’s church. 30 00:04:50.330 --> 00:04:57.600 And what we’re talking about is something that is owned by God himself, and this is God’s standard. 31 00:04:57.600 --> 00:05:18.900 And so you should measure up to these things, anyone who leads in the church, because it is God’s church that we’re working and seeking to protect and to receive the blessing from. 32 00:05:18.900 --> 00:05:27.900 And so today, we’re looking at verses 6 and 7. 33 00:05:27.900 --> 00:05:45.400 And let me, before I read this, begin this: last week we did point out that these tests of character are first shown to be true in a man in his own household. 34 00:05:45.400 --> 00:05:54.580 And one of the places to look to see if this is true is, is this man the shepherd of his home? 35 00:05:54.580 --> 00:06:02.040 Because you have to be the shepherd of your home before you can be considered to be the shepherd of God’s house. 36 00:06:02.040 --> 00:06:09.020 And these things must be true in good measure there, and they will show up there in the home life of a person. 37 00:06:09.020 --> 00:06:23.620 You can act in all different ways when you come together on a Sunday morning, and you can convince other people that you’re a pretty good person, and you can convince yourself that you are, but in your home life your character shows up. 38 00:06:23.620 --> 00:06:28.220 And so that’s where we were last week, as we were looking at these qualities. 39 00:06:28.220 --> 00:06:40.600 They must be realized in the man’s home: how he leads his wife, how he conducts his children, are his children believers, are they under control with dignity? 40 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:43.260 We looked at all those things last week. 41 00:06:43.260 --> 00:06:54.700 Today, we’re looking at another commandment for the church when you’re looking at the standards of those who will lead the church. 42 00:06:54.700 --> 00:07:04.740 In verse 6, it says, in my Bible it says: Not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited. 43 00:07:04.740 --> 00:07:11.920 That’s a bit of an interpretation, the way my Bible is translated. 44 00:07:11.920 --> 00:07:16.560 The King James says something like novice there. 45 00:07:16.560 --> 00:07:28.140 The Greek word that underlines it is the very word that we get the English word neophyte from, the idea of a beginner, an amateur. 46 00:07:28.140 --> 00:07:44.880 If you play tennis and you go up against a tennis champion, you might want to let them know that you’re an amateur, if you are. 47 00:07:44.880 --> 00:07:51.240 If you’re a novice, new to the game, you’re not going to do too well against someone who’s very seasoned and experienced in the game. 48 00:07:51.240 --> 00:07:59.840 That’s true with any sport, it’s true with business, it’s true in every area of life, and it’s true spiritually. 49 00:07:59.840 --> 00:08:17.520 What is the spiritual maturity of this person who aspires to the office of an elder, as the church considers this person being actually in that office, assuming those responsibilities for God’s people? 50 00:08:17.520 --> 00:08:21.320 Is this person spiritually mature? 51 00:08:21.320 --> 00:08:24.420 That’s the real question. 52 00:08:24.420 --> 00:08:30.240 Elders are called elders in the Bible because they’re usually older. 53 00:08:30.240 --> 00:08:32.340 That’s the reason for the word. 54 00:08:32.340 --> 00:08:40.640 But an elder, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re aged. 55 00:08:40.640 --> 00:08:44.380 It means that they are spiritually mature. 56 00:08:44.380 --> 00:08:49.240 They’ve had some years of experience spiritually, and they’ve grown in the Lord. 57 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:50.040 That’s the idea. 58 00:08:50.040 --> 00:08:58.260 In Timothy, as Paul writes this letter to Timothy, you recognize that Timothy is not a very old man. 59 00:08:58.260 --> 00:09:07.420 In fact, the apostle encourages Timothy to not let anyone despise his youth. 60 00:09:07.420 --> 00:09:11.600 But Timothy is a man who is deeply seasoned in the Lord. 61 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:14.840 He’s a man with great spiritual maturity. 62 00:09:14.840 --> 00:09:17.500 And so that’s the difference. 63 00:09:17.500 --> 00:09:21.160 And so my translation says not a new convert. 64 00:09:21.160 --> 00:09:26.100 That would be a good indicator if the person’s just come to faith. 65 00:09:26.100 --> 00:09:30.820 You know how it is in churches. 66 00:09:30.820 --> 00:09:54.440 Somebody comes to faith, if they are a very gifted person, maybe they’re very charismatic and they’re a really gifted speaker, they can speak and engage people very easily, or maybe they’re good musicians, or whatever their gifts are. 67 00:09:54.440 --> 00:09:58.700 Those gifts aren’t everything. 68 00:09:58.700 --> 00:10:08.100 Real often in our churches we focus on things like that rather than pay attention to this commandment. 69 00:10:08.100 --> 00:10:15.160 In fact, when churches operate, this is one of the principles. 70 00:10:15.160 --> 00:10:20.880 Most churches act as if this exhortation from God is not there at all. 71 00:10:20.880 --> 00:10:25.380 And by the way, this is essentially a commandment of God. 72 00:10:25.380 --> 00:10:38.800 And so I need to call our church into accountability to this commandment of God, because this is the word of God and we should respond to it, because this is the word of the King. 73 00:10:38.800 --> 00:10:47.980 We should take this very seriously, because there’s good purpose in this. 74 00:10:47.980 --> 00:10:50.740 But many churches don’t act that way. 75 00:10:50.740 --> 00:11:00.440 In fact, the more contemporary churches have principles that they have put in place. 76 00:11:00.440 --> 00:11:08.520 If I generalize this just a little bit, I think you can see it, which is you put a person in church. 77 00:11:08.520 --> 00:11:12.080 There’s all kinds of responsibilities in a church. 78 00:11:12.080 --> 00:11:17.720 Some responsibilities in a church reflect the same responsibilities of an elder. 79 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:21.720 An elder must be someone who is capable of teaching, for example. 80 00:11:21.720 --> 00:11:23.980 And you can take a new believer. 81 00:11:23.980 --> 00:11:25.940 Some churches will do this. 82 00:11:25.940 --> 00:11:35.320 Put them into a role or teaching position where they are feeding other people the word of God that they really don’t know themselves. 83 00:11:35.320 --> 00:11:36.680 Why do they do that? 84 00:11:36.680 --> 00:11:42.500 Why does that become the more common practice in lots of churches? 85 00:11:42.500 --> 00:11:46.840 Well, I can tell you, I read the church growth books every once in a while. 86 00:11:46.840 --> 00:11:47.840 Well, I used to, anyway. 87 00:11:47.840 --> 00:11:52.060 It’s been a long time, but I’ve read them. 88 00:11:52.060 --> 00:11:57.940 And so one of the things that they say in those books, their rationale, I mean, why do they want to do it? 89 00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:01.300 Because people pass through the church all the time. 90 00:12:01.300 --> 00:12:04.160 They just don’t always stay. 91 00:12:04.160 --> 00:12:15.820 And when someone comes into your church and you give them something to do in the church and you make them feel important, you’ve got this function from now on, they tend to come back and stay. 92 00:12:15.820 --> 00:12:18.160 It keeps more people in the church. 93 00:12:18.160 --> 00:12:26.260 In fact, when you look at any of those megachurch manuals, that’s entrenched in their practice. 94 00:12:26.260 --> 00:12:27.400 They do that. 95 00:12:27.400 --> 00:12:31.040 How do they rationalize that in light of this verse? 96 00:12:31.040 --> 00:12:40.520 Well, they say, well, we give these people these responsibilities, and those responsibilities, like if they teach someone, then that will cause them to grow spiritually. 97 00:12:40.520 --> 00:12:42.080 That’s how it’s rationalized. 98 00:12:42.080 --> 00:12:46.940 The purpose is mainly church growth. 99 00:12:46.940 --> 00:12:49.520 This is saying something different. 100 00:12:49.520 --> 00:13:02.380 This is saying that the person who is put and given this responsibility like that are to be someone who is spiritually mature enough to handle it. 101 00:13:02.380 --> 00:13:06.040 And it’s not just new converts. 102 00:13:06.040 --> 00:13:14.940 Somebody might be a professing believer for years and not qualify. 103 00:13:14.940 --> 00:13:21.880 When I was a teenager, my dad, who worked hard at his job, it wasn’t enough for him. 104 00:13:21.880 --> 00:13:22.820 He just loved to work. 105 00:13:22.820 --> 00:13:29.100 So he started this hobby of cutting down trees and selling. 106 00:13:29.100 --> 00:13:32.620 He would go to places, cut down trees, and sell the firewood. 107 00:13:32.620 --> 00:13:37.160 In the evenings he would spend time doing that, and I would help him. 108 00:13:37.160 --> 00:13:49.300 We’d cut down, there’d be places where you were allowed to cut wood, and so you’d cut down, they’re going to clear this area, and so I helped him with that. 109 00:13:49.300 --> 00:14:09.400 One of the things that was interesting to me that I learned as a teenager was that you cut down those trees on the outside of the forest, and then two weeks later you come back, and some of those trees that you hadn’t cut down, because of the storm that passed through that week, those are laying on the ground. 110 00:14:09.400 --> 00:14:12.000 You didn’t have to cut them down. 111 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:12.960 Why is that? 112 00:14:12.960 --> 00:14:20.360 Because those trees on the outside have felt the winds of the storm all their life. 113 00:14:20.360 --> 00:14:25.440 And those trees on the inside have been sheltered, and they don’t have the roots or the strength. 114 00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:33.920 And so when the outside trees are cut away and the wind hits those inside trees, some of them just can’t handle it. 115 00:14:33.920 --> 00:14:38.860 Their roots aren’t strong enough. 116 00:14:38.860 --> 00:14:41.480 And it just makes good sense. 117 00:14:41.480 --> 00:14:46.180 The person needs to be mature enough to handle the responsibilities they’re given. 118 00:14:46.180 --> 00:14:53.980 You wouldn’t trust a powerful sports car to a teenager if you were a wise parent. 119 00:14:53.980 --> 00:14:57.020 I don’t think you would do that. 120 00:14:57.020 --> 00:15:04.000 They have to have the experience before they’re given responsibility like that. 121 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:17.720 And so we need to recognize that God says don’t take a new believer or someone who’s not spiritually mature and place them into a role like an elder or an overseer. 122 00:15:17.720 --> 00:15:20.800 And then he tells us the purpose of this. 123 00:15:20.800 --> 00:15:27.720 God’s purpose in giving this is that he might become puffed up with conceit. 124 00:15:27.720 --> 00:15:31.860 He might fall into the condemnation of the devil. 125 00:15:31.860 --> 00:15:34.280 So that’s a purpose clause. 126 00:15:34.280 --> 00:15:41.140 Paul is giving the purpose to explain this prohibition. 127 00:15:41.140 --> 00:15:46.580 And it’s an interesting explanation. 128 00:15:46.580 --> 00:15:56.840 I’ve been thinking about this passage for this week, and yesterday we had a little family celebration for the Fourth of July. 129 00:15:56.840 --> 00:16:04.600 We were all there, and they set off in the afternoon, way before dark, some fireworks. 130 00:16:04.600 --> 00:16:09.460 And I noticed the smoke coming. 131 00:16:09.460 --> 00:16:13.740 They set off these fireworks, and all of a sudden I was enveloped in smoke. 132 00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:26.840 Well, the reason that I remember that is because that’s essentially what this word that we have here: Not a new convert, so they may not become puffed up or conceited. 133 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:40.060 That’s a very interesting little word, because the root idea of the word, which is not the meaning of the word, but the root idea of the word is that clouded by smoke is the idea. 134 00:16:40.060 --> 00:16:43.400 Smoke gets in your eyes and you can’t see too well. 135 00:16:43.400 --> 00:16:48.200 And this person is the person whose head is in those clouds of smoke. 136 00:16:48.200 --> 00:16:49.620 It’s the idea. 137 00:16:49.620 --> 00:16:53.560 They’re not dealing rightly with reality anymore. 138 00:16:53.560 --> 00:16:55.080 What’s happened to them? 139 00:16:55.080 --> 00:17:04.740 Well, they’ve been given a place of responsibility, and say they’re very gifted. 140 00:17:04.740 --> 00:17:08.530 They have a wonderful, charismatic personality. 141 00:17:08.530 --> 00:17:16.560 You let them lead this class or preach a sermon, and everybody comes up and tells them how wonderful it is. 142 00:17:16.560 --> 00:17:18.260 And you know what happens? 143 00:17:18.260 --> 00:17:21.520 They think it was pretty wonderful after all. 144 00:17:21.520 --> 00:17:23.920 “You know, that was pretty good, what I did.” 145 00:17:23.920 --> 00:17:29.700 And pretty soon, they’re trusting themselves. 146 00:17:29.700 --> 00:17:37.640 They aren’t trusting the Holy Spirit of God to lead them, to teach them, and to instruct them. 147 00:17:37.640 --> 00:17:39.440 They’re pursuing it themselves. 148 00:17:39.440 --> 00:17:46.520 And it is a terrible sin that it leads to such pride. 149 00:17:46.520 --> 00:17:51.060 They begin to get puffed up. 150 00:17:51.060 --> 00:17:56.100 In 1 Corinthians 13, it tells us that: Knowledge puffs up. 151 00:17:56.100 --> 00:18:04.840 You can find a person who knows a great deal about the word of God who is not spiritually mature. 152 00:18:04.840 --> 00:18:20.460 And so when they begin to communicate the word of God, and people begin to tell them how wonderful it is, their knowledge of the word of God, then they’ll begin to be very proud in the things that they know. 153 00:18:20.460 --> 00:18:28.760 And it’s a terrible problem for them. 154 00:18:28.760 --> 00:18:32.420 And the temptation is just naturally there. 155 00:18:32.420 --> 00:18:45.000 You put somebody in a place and give them a role, and they want to aspire to the next one, to get more acclaim, because that’s what happens in the world around us. 156 00:18:45.000 --> 00:18:54.420 You go get a job at any business, and you want to do well in that job. 157 00:18:54.420 --> 00:19:01.840 And so as you pursue that, there’s steps that you take. 158 00:19:01.840 --> 00:19:04.020 “I want to get the next job up. 159 00:19:04.020 --> 00:19:05.900 I’m ambitious in my work. 160 00:19:05.900 --> 00:19:07.420 I want to do well here. 161 00:19:07.420 --> 00:19:09.320 I want people to recognize me.” 162 00:19:09.320 --> 00:19:18.100 So you work on your CV, so you’ve got a nice list of all your accomplishments and your educational levels and all these things. 163 00:19:18.100 --> 00:19:20.620 You try to impress people. 164 00:19:20.620 --> 00:19:27.700 There’s all kinds of sayings, like if you don’t take your seat at the table, somebody else will. 165 00:19:27.700 --> 00:19:32.140 Or if you don’t take your seat at the table, then you’ll be on the menu. 166 00:19:32.140 --> 00:19:34.060 There’s things like that. 167 00:19:34.060 --> 00:19:36.560 The idea that you have to assert yourself. 168 00:19:36.560 --> 00:19:38.460 You have to press on. 169 00:19:38.460 --> 00:19:40.700 You want to be moving upward. 170 00:19:40.700 --> 00:19:46.140 “I want the next greater and higher thing.” 171 00:19:46.140 --> 00:19:50.660 And that’s not a very Christian way of thinking. 172 00:19:50.660 --> 00:20:06.810 It’s easy to be blinded by the smoke, to not be able to see reality rightly and start thinking way too much of yourself and not recognizing the glory and grace of God. 173 00:20:06.810 --> 00:20:18.700 C.S. Lewis pointed out that pride is a sin that you can easily see in other people, but is very difficult, almost never see in yourself. 174 00:20:18.700 --> 00:20:24.120 And he said among natural people, not Christians, they virtually never see it. 175 00:20:24.120 --> 00:20:28.080 They never see it. 176 00:20:28.080 --> 00:20:36.740 When they see it in someone else, they absolutely hate it, particularly if it’s so true of them. 177 00:20:36.740 --> 00:20:39.320 I think that’s generally true. 178 00:20:39.320 --> 00:20:44.120 I think that he’s exactly right about that. 179 00:20:44.120 --> 00:20:46.720 Contrast to that, there’s a different principle. 180 00:20:46.720 --> 00:20:47.440 Booker T. 181 00:20:47.440 --> 00:20:50.900 Washington, he’s got a famous quote, so I’ll just give it to you. 182 00:20:50.900 --> 00:20:55.560 He says, “If you want to lift yourself up, lift up someone else.” 183 00:20:55.560 --> 00:21:00.740 And that’s a little closer to the mark. 184 00:21:00.740 --> 00:21:09.160 So don’t look at that business section at the bookstore about drawing attention to all your achievements. 185 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:20.880 We need to look and get a good grasp of a biblical principle that Jesus gave us that we really, every one of us, needs to absorb. 186 00:21:20.880 --> 00:21:27.940 And you can find that in Mark 10:42–44. 187 00:21:27.940 --> 00:21:31.600 And let me just give you the background before I read this little passage. 188 00:21:31.600 --> 00:21:39.160 James and John have gone to Jesus, and they say, “Can we sit on your left and right in the kingdom?” 189 00:21:39.160 --> 00:21:42.220 And there’s not exactly anything wrong with that. 190 00:21:42.220 --> 00:21:44.240 He said, “We want to do well. 191 00:21:44.240 --> 00:21:47.360 We want to be close to you when we get to heaven. 192 00:21:47.360 --> 00:21:49.060 We want to do what we can.” 193 00:21:49.060 --> 00:21:53.400 And Jesus gives them private instruction there. 194 00:21:53.400 --> 00:21:55.960 And it’s kind of interesting, his instruction. 195 00:21:55.960 --> 00:22:04.280 He says, in order to do that, you’re going to need to drink the cup that I drink. 196 00:22:04.280 --> 00:22:06.740 And that’s a powerful thought. 197 00:22:06.740 --> 00:22:10.100 I’m sure he gave complete explanation to them. 198 00:22:10.100 --> 00:22:13.920 And he says, “You will drink that cup. 199 00:22:13.920 --> 00:22:15.320 You will drink it. 200 00:22:15.320 --> 00:22:20.480 But the place on my right and left, well, that’s not mine to give.” 201 00:22:20.480 --> 00:22:22.920 And then something interesting happened. 202 00:22:22.920 --> 00:22:35.180 The other ten disciples hear about this, and they’re really upset, because they think they’re manipulating to get the higher place, and they don’t have it. 203 00:22:35.180 --> 00:22:40.880 They feel like they’re left out or trying to be cheated out of the higher place. 204 00:22:40.880 --> 00:22:49.000 They’re thinking about it the same way that a person in business wants to reach that higher level. 205 00:22:49.000 --> 00:22:50.840 And Jesus has this to say. 206 00:22:50.840 --> 00:23:08.580 He calls them to him, these ten, and he says to them: You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. 207 00:23:08.580 --> 00:23:12.000 But it shall not be so among you. 208 00:23:12.000 --> 00:23:23.180 Whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. 209 00:23:23.180 --> 00:23:25.300 That’s the principle. 210 00:23:25.300 --> 00:23:27.560 We need to understand that principle. 211 00:23:27.560 --> 00:23:31.000 We need to apply that principle. 212 00:23:31.000 --> 00:23:37.900 Before we look at that a little bit more, let’s consider: what is the condemnation of the devil? 213 00:23:37.900 --> 00:23:40.440 What does that mean? 214 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:47.520 Well, let me give you a little pointer when it comes to reading and interpreting God’s word. 215 00:23:47.520 --> 00:24:03.860 Whenever you get to a verse that has an of in it, or maybe a possessive, you have to look hard at it to figure out what’s going on, because it can get a little bit tricky. 216 00:24:03.860 --> 00:24:07.240 The condemnation of the devil. 217 00:24:07.240 --> 00:24:15.960 Because you see, in that phrase, just as it is grammatically, it’s grammatically possible for the devil to be the one who is condemning. 218 00:24:15.960 --> 00:24:20.240 That would be a subjective use of the phrase. 219 00:24:20.240 --> 00:24:23.760 Or he’s the one who has been condemned. 220 00:24:23.760 --> 00:24:25.900 And so, which is it here? 221 00:24:25.900 --> 00:24:30.020 Is he the one who condemns, or is he the one who has been condemned? 222 00:24:30.020 --> 00:24:42.540 And in this verse, it’s pretty certain that what this means is it’s the condemnation of God that the devil has received. 223 00:24:42.540 --> 00:24:45.260 It’s pretty clear that that’s the case here. 224 00:24:45.260 --> 00:24:50.980 For one thing, the devil may be a great accuser, but he’s not a judge. 225 00:24:50.980 --> 00:25:01.700 And also, we have a pretty good example of the devil that explains why this was true. 226 00:25:01.700 --> 00:25:04.600 Why did he receive such condemnation? 227 00:25:04.600 --> 00:25:14.800 There’s the story of Satan, the angel who fell, and his sin was pride. 228 00:25:14.800 --> 00:25:17.940 And pride was the very first sin. 229 00:25:17.940 --> 00:25:37.280 The first sin before any other sin was the sin that Satan committed when he, as this great archangel, this beautiful creature, the highest of all the angels, started thinking in his heart and started thinking very pridefully. 230 00:25:37.280 --> 00:25:43.620 So it was Satan in Isaiah 14, verses 13 and 14. 231 00:25:43.620 --> 00:25:49.680 Satan says: I will ascend to heaven. 232 00:25:49.680 --> 00:25:54.420 I will raise my throne above the stars of God. 233 00:25:54.420 --> 00:26:00.760 I will sit enthroned on the mount of the assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. 234 00:26:00.760 --> 00:26:06.370 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds, Talk about having your head in the clouds. 235 00:26:06.370 --> 00:26:12.480 and I will make myself like the Most High. 236 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:14.780 That’s Satan’s aspiration. 237 00:26:14.780 --> 00:26:20.240 He wants to be in the place of God, to rule everything. 238 00:26:20.240 --> 00:26:23.120 He wants his will and his way. 239 00:26:23.120 --> 00:26:25.380 Five times he says, “I will.” 240 00:26:25.380 --> 00:26:27.020 “I’ll ascend up. 241 00:26:27.020 --> 00:26:28.600 I’m headed up. 242 00:26:28.600 --> 00:26:30.440 I want the next thing up.” 243 00:26:30.440 --> 00:26:32.300 * I will ascend to heaven. 244 00:26:32.300 --> 00:26:34.280 * I’ll raise my throne above the stars. 245 00:26:34.280 --> 00:26:35.550 * I’ll sit enthroned. 246 00:26:35.550 --> 00:26:38.460 * I will ascend above the tops of the clouds. 247 00:26:38.460 --> 00:26:42.740 * I will make myself like the Most High. 248 00:26:42.740 --> 00:26:49.500 And Satan’s I will statements have been repeated billions of times. 249 00:26:49.500 --> 00:26:54.560 The angels who fell with him. 250 00:26:54.560 --> 00:26:58.580 Billions of men and women claiming, “I will ascend. 251 00:26:58.580 --> 00:27:00.520 I will be great.” 252 00:27:00.520 --> 00:27:12.880 Pride like this was the sin, really the heart of Adam and Eve’s sin, when Satan tells them: You will be like God, knowing good and evil. 253 00:27:12.880 --> 00:27:14.640 Is that what happened? 254 00:27:14.640 --> 00:27:17.300 Did they end up like God? 255 00:27:17.300 --> 00:27:20.920 No, they ended up like Satan. 256 00:27:20.920 --> 00:27:25.180 They ended up pretty much like Satan. 257 00:27:25.180 --> 00:27:30.940 That’s the model and the pattern of the people in this world. 258 00:27:30.940 --> 00:27:47.680 So pride made Satan want to ascend to the heavens, to the very throne of God, but the Bible says it brought him, in the next verse, in verse 15 of Isaiah, says: Down to the grave, to the depths of the pit. 259 00:27:47.680 --> 00:27:49.800 He aspires to go up. 260 00:27:49.800 --> 00:27:54.120 He asserts himself in pride: “I’m going to claim this for myself.” 261 00:27:54.120 --> 00:28:00.980 And what ends up happening is he goes down to Sheol, to the depths of the pit. 262 00:28:00.980 --> 00:28:04.440 There’s a better example. 263 00:28:04.440 --> 00:28:07.920 It’s the example of our Lord Jesus. 264 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:15.880 Jesus said: I desire to do your will, O my God. 265 00:28:15.880 --> 00:28:27.620 Jesus, the Son of God, the eternal Word, the Son of God, is in the form of God, it tells us in Philippians chapter 2. 266 00:28:27.620 --> 00:28:28.920 He’s in the form of God. 267 00:28:28.920 --> 00:28:30.260 He’s equal with God. 268 00:28:30.260 --> 00:28:31.540 He’s present with God. 269 00:28:31.540 --> 00:28:36.360 All the angels of heaven worship him. 270 00:28:36.360 --> 00:28:43.340 But that passage says that: He didn’t count equality with God something to hold on to. 271 00:28:43.340 --> 00:28:53.400 But by taking the form of a servant, he’s born in the likeness of men, and being found in human form, he humbles himself. 272 00:28:53.400 --> 00:29:05.260 He goes down further: By becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 273 00:29:05.260 --> 00:29:08.060 What was the outcome of that? 274 00:29:08.060 --> 00:29:19.120 Jesus, who has everything in glory, says, “I’m giving that up for other people, for people.” 275 00:29:19.120 --> 00:29:22.660 And what’s the outcome of that lowering of himself? 276 00:29:22.660 --> 00:29:39.860 The next verse says: Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth. 277 00:29:39.860 --> 00:29:43.440 That’s the principle that Jesus teaches. 278 00:29:43.440 --> 00:29:45.840 It’s a terrific contrast. 279 00:29:45.840 --> 00:29:50.000 Satan exalts his own will, finds nothing but misery. 280 00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:52.580 He’s brought misery to others. 281 00:29:52.580 --> 00:30:04.160 And Jesus submits himself to the will of God and finds blessing, a great blessing for other people. 282 00:30:04.160 --> 00:30:14.300 So, as Peter says: Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, so that at the proper time he might exalt you. 283 00:30:14.300 --> 00:30:23.100 Well, the next thing is that to qualify as an elder, a man must have an excellent testimony or witness to the church outside. 284 00:30:23.100 --> 00:30:25.700 And I’m not going to develop that completely. 285 00:30:25.700 --> 00:30:27.680 I may do that tonight. 286 00:30:27.680 --> 00:30:30.900 But basically, what does it mean? 287 00:30:30.900 --> 00:30:39.520 It means that the test moves from the man’s heart to his witness in the community. 288 00:30:39.520 --> 00:30:42.580 Does he have a good witness in the community? 289 00:30:42.580 --> 00:30:47.200 If he shares the gospel with someone, will they hear it? 290 00:30:47.200 --> 00:30:51.380 Or will they look at him and say, “Well, you don’t live that out yourself”? 291 00:30:51.380 --> 00:30:55.820 Is his testimony solid? 292 00:30:55.820 --> 00:31:00.880 And when a person lacks integrity, he falls into the trap of the devil. 293 00:31:00.880 --> 00:31:05.020 He has to maybe cover his tracks. 294 00:31:05.020 --> 00:31:06.700 He hides his sin. 295 00:31:06.700 --> 00:31:09.270 He tells lies. 296 00:31:09.270 --> 00:31:11.570 He falls into a trap. 297 00:31:11.570 --> 00:31:18.840 And so the devil traps the person, neutralizes the power of the church. 298 00:31:18.840 --> 00:31:27.340 If you put someone like that in responsibility in your church, your church will be discredited. 299 00:31:27.340 --> 00:31:39.960 As it’s happened, you look around and see all the examples of pastors and leaders in the church, and it’s a shame. 300 00:31:39.960 --> 00:31:48.700 So as we close this morning, do you see the benefit of submitting yourself to God’s will? 301 00:31:48.700 --> 00:31:55.680 You see, every one of us, just to tell you the truth, every one of us tends to prefer our own will. 302 00:31:55.680 --> 00:31:59.640 It’s natural to tend to prefer your own will to God’s will. 303 00:31:59.640 --> 00:32:06.200 And when you come to faith, it’s the exercise of the Spirit of God that transforms that and changes it. 304 00:32:06.200 --> 00:32:09.800 And even Christians continually struggle with this. 305 00:32:09.800 --> 00:32:11.620 You want what you want. 306 00:32:11.620 --> 00:32:13.840 God tells you what he wants. 307 00:32:13.840 --> 00:32:21.140 You can look at a passage like this that says don’t put a new person in office, but then you say, “Well, we are the exception to that. 308 00:32:21.140 --> 00:32:22.240 Look at this person. 309 00:32:22.240 --> 00:32:25.980 Look at all the people he knows and how many people he’ll influence.” 310 00:32:25.980 --> 00:32:35.120 And we can say that we’ve got great reason to not be obedient to God’s word because our will seems so good to us. 311 00:32:35.120 --> 00:32:37.620 But it’s God’s word. 312 00:32:37.620 --> 00:32:40.140 It’s God’s will that matters. 313 00:32:40.140 --> 00:32:44.960 Jesus said: I’ve come to do thy will, O God. 314 00:32:44.960 --> 00:32:50.780 And we need to say the same, to conform our will to God’s will when we hear it. 315 00:32:50.780 --> 00:32:56.260 When the word of God tells us, the word of the King, we need to listen to it. 316 00:32:56.260 --> 00:32:59.120 We need to hear it. 317 00:32:59.120 --> 00:33:07.580 And when we do so, as we submit to God’s will, then we receive the blessing of God’s sanctifying grace. 318 00:33:07.580 --> 00:33:24.720 When we confess our sins, because we see that the way we’re walking isn’t the way he would have us walk, and we confess that, truly repent of it, then the promise of God is that he will freely forgive us, and he restores us. 319 00:33:24.720 --> 00:33:26.500 Let’s look to the Lord. 320 00:33:26.500 --> 00:33:29.440 All of us have willful thoughts. 321 00:33:29.440 --> 00:33:32.260 We need to be careful to conform them to God’s word. 322 00:33:32.260 --> 00:33:40.400 Let me pray for us, and then I will pray for the elements as well as we pass them this morning. 323 00:33:40.400 --> 00:33:51.060 Let me just say, if you have trusted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you’re welcome to share the Lord’s table with us this morning as we celebrate it. 324 00:33:51.060 --> 00:34:00.360 If you are not a believer and not have trusted Christ, we would ask that you refrain from taking the elements today. 325 00:34:00.360 --> 00:34:04.500 But these are for Christians. 326 00:34:04.500 --> 00:34:09.540 It is for sinners who have trusted Christ as their Savior. 327 00:34:09.540 --> 00:34:11.660 Let me pray for us. 328 00:34:11.660 --> 00:34:22.880 Father, we thank you for this word from the Apostle Paul that you have given Paul as he speaks to us, really your word, your words, your guidelines. 329 00:34:22.880 --> 00:34:33.540 We ask, Father, that you give us the grace to hear them, to submit to them, and, Father, every one of us to conform our hearts and lives to the truth of your word. 330 00:34:33.540 --> 00:34:38.220 Help us, Lord Jesus, as we come to a better understanding of this. 331 00:34:38.220 --> 00:34:47.600 We recognize, Lord, that you’re the one who measures all men and women, that every one of us is exposed before you. 332 00:34:47.600 --> 00:34:52.040 You know our thoughts just like you knew Satan’s thoughts. 333 00:34:52.040 --> 00:34:54.760 Father, there’s nothing that is hidden from your eyes. 334 00:34:54.760 --> 00:34:58.040 You see the depth of our sin. 335 00:34:58.040 --> 00:35:02.020 And Father, it is to you that we appeal this morning. 336 00:35:02.020 --> 00:35:13.020 As you have taught us, Lord, we pray that you lead us. 337 00:35:13.020 --> 00:35:33.040 And Father, we pray that by the power of your Spirit, we would confess our sins, and Father, that we would find your way and that you would guide us into your truth, to our blessing and to the blessing of those that we are connected with to your church. 338 00:35:33.040 --> 00:35:35.340 Thank you for your church. 339 00:35:35.340 --> 00:35:36.960 Please bless us this morning. 340 00:35:36.960 --> 00:35:43.160 And Father, as we take the bread and the cup this morning, we ask your great blessing. 341 00:35:43.160 --> 00:35:57.000 Help us, Father, to see the work of Christ that’s illustrated by the cup and by the bread, and help us, Lord, as we do so, to worship Christ. 342 00:35:57.000 --> 00:36:02.740 It’s an expression of his love that he gave us this ordinance. 343 00:36:02.740 --> 00:36:14.460 As we share the bread and the cup today, help us to recognize the grace that we’ve received in Jesus, and, Father, grow our love for you. 344 00:36:14.460 --> 00:36:18.940 We pray in the name of our Savior that his name may be glorified. 345 00:36:18.940 --> 00:36:20.940 Amen.