Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org
Men's Leadership Support Group Meeting notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/mensupport/20050311.m.htm

MEN'S LEADERSHIP SUPPORT GROUP
Part IV: Functioning For Productive ORDER In Our World As God's Overseers
(1 Timothy 1:18-2:15)
  1. Introduction
    1. A great challenge many leaders face is the problem of handling what seems to them to be a painful lack of order in the institutions to which they must relate. Disorder in their marriages, homes, governments, churches, businesses or even in their own personal lives can lead to destructive failure in these realms!
    2. Paul addressed this need and gave insight in 1 Timothy 1:18-2:15 on how we as Christian overseers can function toward productively influencing GOOD orderliness [in God's power], be it in the realm of our personal lives or society or even in the world's governments as follows:
  2. Functioning For Productive ORDER In Our World As God's Overseers, 1 Timothy 1:18-2:15.
    1. God calls overseers to keep order in themselves via faith and a clear conscience, 1 Timothy 1:18-20:
      1. Paul's reference to "this charge" in 1 Timothy 1:18 points to his charge to Timothy in the whole preceding section, that he "stay on at Ephesus" for informing certain parties not to misuse the law, but to use it properly to direct people to Christ, cf. Hendriksen, I-II Timothy-Titus, p. 84.
      2. Accordingly, Paul's call in verse 18 that Timothy hold to "faith and a good conscience" is a summary call on how Timothy was to heed that entire 1 Timothy 1:1-17 section of Scripture.
      3. So, Timothy along with every other overseer under God avoids the PERSONAL "shipwreck" in his personal life that Hymenaeus and Alexander tragically knew PROVIDING he focuses on preserving the key components of his (a) "faith in God" and a (b) "clear conscience" in all areas of his life.
    2. God calls overseers to keep order in world governments via intercessory prayer, 1 Timothy 2:1-8:
      1. Though various Christian institutions impress us men to "get involved" in writing to congressional leaders or in joining a political party, etc. to affect improvements in the secular government, Paul calls us to intercessory prayer that GOD might get involved in influencing governments for good, 2:1-7, 8.
      2. This call makes sense in considering Daniel 10:10-14 where we find strong evil spirits are behind world leaders and nations! Our human efforts in the political arena are futile before such supernatural powers, so we need God's involvement in our behalf for success there, cf. Ephesians 6:10-12, 18-20.
    3. God calls overseers to keep order in society by heeding His pattern for the gender roles, 1 Tim. 2:9-15:
      1. Men and women interact in all realms of society, be it in marriage, family, Church or the marketplace.
      2. Well, Paul's instruction on the roles of men and women first applies to CHURCH life and then to the HOME as well as SOCIETY in general by the appeal he makes to God's model for the gender roles:
        1. Paul began his discussion on the gender roles in 1 Timothy 2:9-10 by mentioning how women were to conduct themselves in a Church versus how men were to conduct themselves, 2:1-8 with 2:9.
        2. Next, he wrote that women were to dress modestly opposite unrighteously drawing attention to themselves, and they were to couple this activity with good works, 1 Timothy 2:9-10 NIV.
        3. That being said, Church women were to learn in quietness and submission, not being allowed to teach or exercise authority over men in the Church meetings, 1 Timothy 2:11-12.
        4. This stance is considered to be "chauvinistic" in today's "politically correct" world, so many religious groups counter it! However, Paul appealed to God's creation model , recalling Adam was first formed by God and then Eve [Gen. 2:20-24] and that Eve was the one who was deceived -- not Adam [Gen. 3:1-7]; the woman was thus the "weaker vessel" at creation, 1 Timothy 2:13-14!
        5. For this cause, wherever they interact, for OPTIMUM ORDER, MEN should LEAD WOMEN!
        6. Thus, it is best that women focus on their roles as wives and mothers at HOME, 1 Timothy 2:15.
Lesson: Under the Holy Spirit's power, God calls us overseers to function toward keeping ORDER in our world FIRST, by (1) ordering our OWN lives via the compass points of "faith in God" and a "good conscience", SECOND, by (2) ordering the GOVERNMENT through INTERCESSORY PRAYER and THIRD, by (3) influencing SOCIETY, be it the Church, the home or business [as much as is possible of course!] in accord with the CREATION MODEL of the GENDER ROLES! This LATTER point means the IDEAL is that MEN ALWAYS lead WOMEN, and that WOMEN focus on HOME life!

Application: May we heed God's call above to influence proper order in our needy, disorderly world!