The Noble Task

The Noble Task 1 Tim 3 – Study Guide

The Noble Task

Elder Selection Process 2026

1 Timothy 3:1-7, Titus 1:5-9; 1 Peter 5:1-5

The Text

The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. ² Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive, ⁵ for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church? ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil. ⁷ Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil. (1 Timothy 3:1-7)

⁵ This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— ⁶ if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. ⁷ For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, ⁸ but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:5-9)

So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: ² shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; ³ not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory. ⁵ Likewise, you who are younger, be subject to the elders. Clothe yourselves, all of you, with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” (1 Peter 5:1-5)

Introduction

Robert Murray McCheyne spoke at the ordination of young Dan Edwards in the 1840s. He said something like this: “Mr. Edwards, do not forget the inner man, the heart. The cavalry officer knows that his life depends upon his saber, so he keeps it clean. Every stain he wipes off with the greatest care. Mr. Edwards, you are God’s chosen instrument. According to your purity, so shall be your success. It is not great talent; it is not great ideas that God uses; it is great likeness to Jesus Christ. Mr. Edwards, a holy man is an awesome weapon in the hand of God”

By God’s grace, next Sunday, the members of Lake Wylie Baptist will submit nominations for the office of Elder. For that reason, today, I have given myself one simple task. I want to instruct you in the kind of men you are to nominate. The purpose of these nominations is for you, the church, to say to me, the Pastor, “Jonathan this is who we see God raising up to shepherd us, to lead us, to oversee our church.” So, today’s sermon is all about helping you identify men in our church who meet the Biblical qualifications of eldership.

You are qualified to be an Elder if…

1. You Want to Be an Elder

If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. (1 Timothy 3:1)

If anyone would be an Elder, Paul says he must aspire to it; he must have a strong desire for it. This is a noble task, overseeing, teaching, correcting, comforting, and caring for the flock of God. It must not be done out of selfish ambition, but a godly ambition to please and serve Jesus Christ as an undershepherd.

As you nominate elders, answer these questions for yourself:

Which men do I see regularly attending Lord’s Day worship and our Members’ Meetings?These are the men already committed to the ministry, already invested in the work that goes on here.

Which men already appear to be shepherding other members, even though they don’t have the title of elder or pastor? Who are the men who already show hospitality, inviting others into their lives? Which men do our church members already go to for Biblical wisdom and council? You want to nominate men who are glad to care for others, happy to oversee and council without being asked or even recognized.

Which men show respect and trust to current leadership? Who will stand alongside your pastor to support him, aid him, ask good questions in the appropriate settings, and challenge him while avoiding confusion and dissension? A man is not ready for leadership until he can show ability to submit to and support God-appointed authority. Any man that will be an Elder here will be required to submit himself to other Elders.

2. You Exemplify Godly Character

1 Tim. 3 and Tit. 1 are full of character qualifications for being an elder.

Above Reproach

Sober-Minded

Self-Controlled

Respectable

Hospitable

Able to Teach

Not a Drunk

Gentle

Good Reputation

Upright

Holy

Disciplined

Which men command the respect of others in our church? Who, by their example, encourages others to live Godly lives? Who are you confident will do the right thing in a tough situation? Who are you convinced will speak the truth and make right decisions even when it’s painful or fearful?

Which men carry on their lives with honesty and integrity outside the church? They show up to work on time, are known for giving their best effort, and taking responsibility when something goes wrong?

Who has a reputation of paying their debts, keeping their word, and living within their means? They are stable, balanced, not following after fads or constantly bouncing from one thing to another. Which men show steadfastness and are not easily provoked?

Which men exercise control over their appetites? An elder must exercise constant restraint. He can’t be given to much food, alcohol, or any other substance. He must discipline his own bodily desires and bring them in subjection to Christ.

Which men have mastered their emotions? Who can tame his tongue in a tense conversation? Who bear up under suffering? Who perseveres through adversity rather than giving up at the first sign of difficulty?

Which men have courage; who will stand up for the truth, even when it costs? Who isn’t a whiner and a complainer, but rather is a worker and a fixer?

Who has patience to deal with difficult people? Some sheep are stubborn. They don’t want to be pastored. They refuse Godly counsel. And an Elder must be able to deal with that kind of church member without blowing up in anger, or being resentful that their authority wasn’t received. In short, he must be controlled by Christ, not the church.

Which men show hospitality, by greeting, talking, helping, serving? Who do you see helping the elderly by opening doors, greeting everyone with a smile? Who do you see taking time to talk to the little children in our church?

Who works for true unity in the church; not avoiding conflict, but patient to talk, discuss, and build bridges?

Who is gentle? Not soft. We don’t want any effeminate men in leadership. When you read about Christ and the Apostles, they weren’t soft. But they were gentle. Christ is gentle. You can approach him in your pain, fear, and confusion. A broken reed he will not break, and neither should Elders.

Which men demonstrate generosity? Who supports the ministry of the church financially? Now, you can’t know that because we don’t share giving records. But it is important to understand that only those who faithfully support the ministry are to be entrusted with leadership over the ministry.

Which men could say with Paul, “Follow me, as I follow Christ”? (1 Cor. 11:1) Or to put it another way: which men would you say to your son, “Watch him, and do what he does”?

3. You Can Teach the Bible

Teaching is at the center of the church’s life. We are called “disciples,” those who are patterning their life on teaching. The early church devoted themselves to the “Apostles’ teaching.” (Acts 2:42)Paul warned the church at Rome to watch out for those who “create obstacles contrary to the doctrine” they had been taught.” (Rom. 16:16) The Apostle James warned that “Not many of you should become teachers… for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” 1 Timothy 3:2 says an Elder must be “able to teach.” (1 Tim. 3:2) More explicitly, Titus 1: 9 says an Elder must, “hold firm the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. (Titus 1:9) So ask yourself a few more questions:

Which men in our church are committed to exposition? Who supports the teaching and preaching philosophy of the church? Who believes that teaching is central to the life of the church? Lake Wylie Baptist – as important as counseling is, as important as visitation is, I have always and will always prioritize the pulpit ministry over every other duty. If the pulpit is weak, the church is weak. Our elders must share this view.

When men in our church teach the Bible, which ones do we see God particularly using to encourage and edify his people? A man need not have great rhetorical gifts, or draw massive crowds, but the church must be willing and eager to receive his doctrine.

Which men are teachable? Before you can open your mouth to teach anyone else, you must be able to close your mouth and joyfully receive teaching. Because I do most of the preaching here, I only get to sit and receive 3-4 times a year in this service. But every time I do, I wish I could trade places with you. I love to sit and have a Godly brother open the sacred page and explain the Word of God to me and my family. And I pray you understand the privilege we have of being in a church where God’s Word is revered.

Which men are adept and competent with the Scriptures and with Christian doctrine? Which men can explain and defend our confession of faith? If someone raises their hand in Equipping Hour, or barges into our worship declaring that the Son of God was created by the Father, or that humans are basically good, or that God is one in person who appears in different modes, which men would you send out to the battle front to respond with Biblical truth? A man need not have a seminary degree to be an Elder. In fact, I pray God raises up a host of blue-collar redneck Elders in our church. But a man must be a diligent student of the word of God and of Christian doctrine. That is nonnegotiable.

“Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Tim. 2:15)

4. You Lead Your Family Well

Leadership in the home is the training ground for leadership in the church. Paul says, “if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?” (1 Tim. 3:5) In other words, a mismanaged home will lead to a mismanaged flock. The word manage, is the same word used when the Good Samaritan cared for a wounded traveler. (Luke 10:25-37) In other words, a good manage doesn’t just give orders like a tyrant, or leave lists of requirements like a landlord. Rather, a good manager also nurtures and cares for his family.

Which men in the church give good attention to their home and the needs of their family? In college I met with an associate pastor whose church I was considering joining. He was bi-vocational and told me how he loved to be on the road, away from home. Over time, I saw how his absence was negatively affecting his wife and family. I left the church because leadership was not modelling Christ’s care for his sheep.

Which men, if they still have children in the home, have submissive children who honor their father and mother? Parents are to rule over their children in love. The families of the church must be able to look at the love, instruction, and discipline an Elder provides for his children and pattern their own parenting from his example. Which children in our church would say, “My dad qualifies as an Elder?”

Which men are faithful to their wives? In both 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1 Paul says an Elder must be the “husband of one wife.” Some have taken this phrase to mean an Elder must be married, thereby prohibiting single men. Others, that Paul was prohibiting multiple wives at the same time (polygamy). Still others, that divorce or remarriage for any reason is instantly disqualifying. And there are a variety of views in our church.

Because Elders must be “examples to the flock” (1 Pet. 5:3) and “above reproach” (1 Tim. 3:2), we believe that a lifelong, unbroken marriage (if one is married) powerfully displays the gospel picture of Christ’s faithful union with the church (Ephesians. 5:22-33). So, the ideal elder is a man whose marriage reflects life-long covenant faithfulness. In our cultural context, where divorce is common even among believers, we aspire for our Elders to exemplify the permanence and beauty of marriage as God designed it. And therefore, our ideal candidates would be divorced. Regardless of your personal interpretation of the passage, Scripture requires that a married man must possess impeccable faithfulness to his wife before he can ever be considered for Eldership.

5. You’re Male

For the first 1,975 years of the church’s existence this was assumed. In the last 50 years, it has been challenged constantly, but Scripture is clear: God has ordained that only men are to occupy the office of Elder or to teach the gathered church.

First, in 1 Timothy 3, when Paul gives qualifications for Elders, every pronoun in the text is masculine. Second, in 1 Timothy 2:12, Paul writes, “I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a main; rather she is to remain quiet.” In the church, God called men to lead, to oversee, and to instruct the flock.

6. You’re a Seasoned Christian

Finally, an Elder must be proven in his faithfulness to Christ and has a track record of Christian maturity.

1 Timothy 3:6 says an Elder, “must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.” Likewise, in 1 Timothy 5:6, Paul says Timothy must not “be hasty in the laying on of hands…” An elder can’t be a seedling, newly planted in the faith. The slightest wind or frost can break and whither a sapling. Elders must be oaks.

Which men have been walking with Christ for years? Who has been humbled by Christ, suffered for Christ, trusted Christ through troubles? A new Christian is not qualified to be an Elder. Period. A new Christian may have zeal, but it must be tempered with maturity.

Mere number of years is not enough to qualify a man either. Whether a man has been a Christian for 5 years or 15 we’re really asking this question: is he mature? Does he display the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control?

A mature man is a humble man, wise to his own faults. A mature man knows his own temptations and guards against them. A mature man isn’t sensitive to criticism. He isn’t defensive of himself.

Nearly 10 years ago, on June 19^th, 2016, I preached on Elders for the first time at Lake Wylie Baptist Church. It was my 5^th week on the job. I had no idea then, that it would be a decade before we established Elders. But here’s what I do know: We have patiently sought the Lord and followed his Word. In the last decade we have watched men come and go. The Lord has been showing us who is mature, faithful, reliable, not tossed to and fro by every wind.

CONCLUSION

As we conclude our study this morning, I want to end with two exhortations.

First, if you have been listening to this sermon and thinking, “If these are the qualifications, who then can be an Elder,” take heart, it was not easy to examine myself when I wrote it. Men, the call to Elder, to shepherd the flock of God is a high calling, a dignified calling, and you should ask yourself, “Why would I not aspire to that noble task?” By God’s grace, you can have this kind of testimony. The world needs men, and women like this.

Finally, in truth, there is only one man qualified to be an Elder in history. Only one man who was truly above reproach, soberminded, and self-controlled. There’s only one man who was utterly hospitable, who was gentle to every hurting person, who was upright and holy. There’s only one man who has been totally faithful to his bride, though she has been chronically unfaithful to him. There’s only one man who can be our true teacher, our true overseer, our true Shepherd. His name is Jesus Christ. He’s the perfect Elder, the perfect bishop of our souls, the perfect pastor. Look to him in faith today, and trust him to lead our church to establish Biblically qualified Elders in the coming months.