50a) The Essence of Biblical Oversight

The point: Aspire to a positive, exegetically based standard for your ministerial endeavors.

The analogy of an athlete not being crowned unless he contends lawfully (2 Timothy 2:5) illustrates that ministers must not only run the race but also adhere to God's rules and standards for ministry.

And this is critical, because 2 Timothy 2.5 says, A man is not crowned in the games, except he contends lawfully. And that's used to spur Timothy to ministerial fidelity. It's not enough that we run, and even run and complete the race.

8:24 - 8:42 Read in full sermon

The point: Aspire to a positive, exegetically based standard for your ministerial endeavors.

Paul's analogy of a steward (1 Corinthians 4:1-5) highlights that a servant of God must be found faithful to the terms of the stewardship set by the Lord, not by the steward himself.

We must keep the rules in the running of the race. Must keep to the course. And so Timothy is to be concerned that in his ministerial endeavors, that he is running according to the rules. Or take 1 Corinthians 4.1-5, where Paul... Paul uses the whole analogy of the servant of God as steward.

8:42 - 9:04 Read in full sermon

The point: By degrees, impart to your people a biblical mindset concerning God's delineation of your task, so they understand your role correctly.

A humorous analogy of congregants expecting pastors to do everything from tying shoes to stirring coffee 50 times illustrates the extreme and unbiblical expectations some people place on their pastors.

If they expect more of you than God assigns to you, they're going to judge you to be a shirker and not being a faithful pastor to them. And you will face both of those extremes. You will have people that think being a real overseer and shepherd and spirit-anointed, compassionate governor will involve everything from tying their shoes in the morning to putting one and a half teaspoons of sugar in their coffee and be sure you stir it at least 50 times. If they find three grains on the bottom, you have failed.

10:57 - 11:28 Read in full sermon

The point: By degrees, impart to your people a biblical mindset concerning God's delineation of your task, so they understand your role correctly.

The analogy of a 'moat of a no-man's land' illustrates how some congregants expect pastors to only preach generically, resisting any personal, 'in-your-face' application of the Word of God.

And they expect from their pastors I'm using silly analogies but something akin to that that God himself has never laid upon you. On the other hand, some have a concept that your task is simply to generically give out these big globs of truth in the Bible and keep a nice big moat of a no-man's land of any in-your-face loving, personal confrontation in the application of the word of God. And when you step over that moat and you're in their backseat, in their backyard and under their nose lovingly with an open Bible they say, who said you should come here? Who gave you this right?

11:28 - 12:07 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: The second category is 'caring for,' derived from 1 Timothy 3:4-5, where the elder is to 'take care of the church of God.' Martin uses the Good Samaritan's charge to the innkeeper…

The story of the Good Samaritan entrusting the wounded man to the innkeeper's care (Luke 10) illustrates the comprehensive, observant, and responsive nature of 'taking care' (epimelesetai) that an elder must exercise for the church.

Luke chapter 10, in the familiar story of our Lord, whether parable or an actual description of something that happened, we don't know. Jesus simply says a certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and you remember the story. And along comes the Samaritan, shows compassion upon him, bound up his wounds, verse 34, set him on his own feast, brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the morrow he took out two denarii and gave them to the host and said, take care.

27:57 - 28:34 Read in full sermon

The point: Develop an awareness of the wide spectrum of needs of those under your care, dwelling with them according to knowledge.

The example of a husband dwelling with his wife according to knowledge (1 Peter 3:7) illustrates that effective domestic rule, and by extension pastoral rule, requires deep, empathetic understanding of individuals, not just generic principles.

the competence in the other and so I place it into this category so that we might think in terms of the task with the shadows of effective domestic rule cutting as it were the angles of our perspective on how this is to be done and here on page two of your notes I've noted that the same word is used with reference to the exercise of good domestic rule this involves among other things if a man is ruling well his own house what does into that effective rule awareness of the wide spectrum of needs he's got to be dwelling with his wife according to knowledge seeking to nourish and cherish her in a...

38:42 - 40:11 Read in full sermon

The point: Seek God's wisdom in Scripture to understand how best to meet the needs of your people.

The example of parents raising children with unique personalities and needs illustrates that effective domestic rule, and by extension pastoral rule, requires discerning individual differences and applying wisdom accordingly.

of the children knowing each child in all the uniqueness we who are parents of more than one child at times shake our heads and say how in the world did such different creatures come out of the same melting pot I know this kid was in my wife's womb and I know I'm the father but how in the world my sperm and her egg could create such two diverse creatures or three or four I'm one of ten second oldest and so all those differences ruling well one's own house means the ability to see the difference in the children to be aware of those differences to relate to them in the light of those differences...

40:11 - 41:38 Read in full sermon

The point: Provide stability in crisis situations and anticipate future needs for the household of God.

The analogy of a man who rules his house well knowing how to 'steady the ship in a storm' illustrates the need for stability and comfort in crisis situations, a quality essential for both domestic and ecclesiastical rule.

his wife his children the economic structure of the household specific steps to implement the means it's one thing for a man to have biblical means now how do I implement them yes I see that I need to give exhortation and encouragement and the rod of correction to this child but now how am I going to do that what are the steps by which I'll implement those means providing stability in crisis situations a man who rules well his own house knows how to steady the ship in a storm and if he can't steady the ship he knows how to huddle all the sailors around them and comfort them that all is going t...

41:38 - 43:07 Read in full sermon

The point: Understand that biblical descriptions of a pastor's disposition are meant to enhance, not dilute, negate, or redefine, the essential tasks of oversight.

The analogy of a father's task to nurture his children (Ephesians 6:4) illustrates that biblical directives on disposition (e.g., not provoking to wrath) are meant to enhance the essential task, not dilute or redefine it.

to the disposition and manner in which the task is to be performed but they bring forward that material in such a way that it is either greatly diluting absolutely negating or totally redefining the task itself and brethren I urge you to pray that God will help you to see that distinction everything said about the disposition and the manner in which we carry out the task is meant to enhance and augment and to make more Christ like and more effective the task as defined in these passages not to dilute not to negate not to redefine now let me illustrate so crucial is this distinction as I sat at...

56:09 - 57:37 Read in full sermon

The point: Pray for and strive for a church where leaders lead by the Word of God and people willingly follow, blessing Jehovah for this reality.

The analogy of a shepherd not merely 'lying down on the hillside' but actively caring for the sheep illustrates that the pastoral task of shepherding requires constant, conscious, and active endeavors, not a passive or laid-back approach.

now do you see the parallel God says we're to shepherd the shepherd ain't some dude lying down on the hillside with his head propped up on his arm just looking the scene over once in a while and taking a nap saying the last thing I want to do is to have any on let you get the impression that I'm telling these sheep where to go and that I'm beating away wolves and well you better have the attitude that says the last thing anyone coming on this scene should think is that I'm anything other than someone who has the care and the well being the health of these sheep under my constant conscious acti...

59:06 - 60:01 Read in full sermon