Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org
Men's Leadership Support Group Meeting notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/mensupport/20041210.m.htm

MEN'S LEADERSHIP SUPPORT GROUP
Part I: The GUIDEPOSTS For Knowing HOW To BE God's Leader
(1 Timothy 3:1, 4-5 with 5:1-2 and 2 Timothy 3:14-4:2)
  1. Introduction
    1. Christian leadership is greatly lacking in the world: check any conservative missionary source and you will always hear of the need for effective, Biblical leaders for the home, Church, and society!
    2. 1 Timothy 3:1, 4-5 indicates true Christian leadership is the same in essence whether it be at the Church or family and society levels, and the guideposts for how to be God's leader are given in 2 Timothy 3:14-17. We view these passages as a basis for our discipleship on Christian leadership (as follows):
  2. The GUIDEPOSTS For Learning HOW To BE God's Leader, 1 Tim. 3:1, 4-5; 2 Tim. 3:14-4:2.
    1. True Christian leadership is the same in essence at any level of human organization, cf. 1 Tim. 3:1, 4-5:
      1. When Paul gave qualifications for "the office of a bishop" in 1 Timothy 3:1, by the word "bishop" as it is used in the KJV, he meant an "overseer", or a leader in the local church, Ryrie St. Bib., KJV, ftn.
      2. Now, Paul also noted in giving the qualifications for overseers in the CHURCH that one could not know how to lead in the Church if he did not first know how to lead in his own home, 1 Timothy 3:5.
      3. Since the home sets the pace for leadership style in the Church, and since society is merely a compilation of a group of homes, Biblical CHRISTIAN leadership is the same in essence at all levels though the way it is expressed will be modified as one moves from the family to the Church and on out to the social realms [Note how Paul patterns Timothy's relationships in the Church as a Pastor with the flock of God by using the relationships of the home as the pattern for him to heed in 1 Timothy 5:1-2!].
    2. That being so, HOW we are to be God's leader is laid out for us by way of three minor guideposts and one overriding major guidepost as follows, cf. 2 Timothy 3:14-17:
      1. Paul spoke of a major guidepost for leadership, that of God's written Word, in 2 Timothy 3:15-4:2: God's Word is so authoritative that Christ will judge the living and the dead in accord with what His written Word says, so we must hold to it as our ultimate authority even on leadership, 2 Tim. 4:1-2.
      2. However, there are three minor guideposts that, when used under the authority and direction of written Scripture, are to guide us in our understanding of how to lead: these are (a) what God has determined we learn in our past [that is in agreement with Scripture], 2 Tim. 3:14a; (b) what God has determined for us then to be convinced was true [in agreement with Scripture], 2 Tim. 3:14b and (c) what time-tested godly leaders have taught us [that is in accord with Scripture], 2 Timothy 3:14c.
    3. The effectiveness of these four guideposts are all sufficient under the major guidepost of Scripture to equip us to be and to do what God wants us to be and do as leaders at all realms of human order and organization (as follows):
      1. Scripture is so authoritative, it equips men to be equipped unto every good work, cf. 2 Timothy 3:17.
      2. The words "throughly furnished" KJV come from the Greek word, exertismenos, a perfect passive part. of exartidzo that means, "to equip or furnish completely," Zond. Analytical Greek Lex., p. 147, 144.
      3. The perfect tense means one is once-for-all or permanently equipped by Scripture, and the passive voice indicates Scripture itself equips the man rather than the man himself innately equipping himself!
      4. Thus, when a believer heeds Scripture, he is permanently and adequately equipped in doing so to be and to do all he is expected to be and to do as God evaluates human leadership!
      5. Heeding Scripture as our overriding guidepost, we also rely on what other godly men have exampled and taught us, and on what we were led of God to learn and to become convinced was true.
Lesson: We can be SURE that ALL we need for ADEQUATE leadership training, be it leadership in our marriages, our families, our churches, businesses, governments or society in general is available by our reading and heeding Scripture, followed by the examples and teachings of other, time-tested godly men and what God let us learn and be convinced was Biblically true in our lives to this date!

Application: (1) May we SETTLE in our MINDS that the ONLY effective GUIDEPOSTS for ALL oversight at ALL levels of life is (a) FIRST SCRIPTURE followed by the three less-major guideposts of (b) the godly input from other forerunners, (c) and what God let us learn and (d) be convinced was Biblically true to this date! (2) May we SCREEN OUT all other ideas on leadership to the contrary!