Sunday School: Mark IX: Biblical Church Leadership (Part 6)

October 22, 2017 Preacher: Series: Sunday School: What is a Healthy Church?

Passage: 1 Timothy 4:11–16

11 Command and teach these things. 12 Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity. 13 Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. 14 Do not neglect your gift, which was given you through prophecy when the body of elders laid their hands on you.15 Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. 16 Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

Point # 1 The requirements for effective, biblical oversight of a local church (11-15):

  1. exemplary Christian lifestyle (11-12)
  2. bible-centered worship (13)
  3. exercise of spiritual gifts (14)
  4. diligence and growth (15)

Point # 2 The fruit of effective, biblical ministry: the elder will save both himself and his hearers (16)

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Defining Terms:  “grace-gift”  (charisma) is not a technical one for Paul that refers only to a select set of gifts that transcend the normal, like healing and tongues.  It embraces gifts like “encouragement” and “generous giving”, but is also used repeatedly for the gift of salvation itself, as well as the gift of celibacy and the gift of marriage.

Although “grace-gift” can have a broad meaning for Paul, two constants are evident across the usage:

  1. God freely and graciously bestows a gift.
  2. God gives gifts for the building up of the body of Christ.

 

More in Sunday School: What is a Healthy Church?

March 4, 2018

Sunday School: Elder-Led Congregationalism (Pt. 7)

February 18, 2018

Sunday School: Elder-Led Congregationalism (Pt .6)

February 11, 2018

Sunday School: Elder-Led Congregationalism (Pt. 5)