Qualifications of an Elder

If a church were to put an ad in the paper for a person to apply for a leadership position, what would that ad say? Would it look like an ad for a business executive or CEO. In the mind of the world, the church is run like a business and should have people who have impressive credentials. Israel did this when looking for a king. They picked Saul who feared man rather than God and the nation began to crumble. Israel’s next king was a man after God’s own heart. David was probably unimpressive by the world's standards. Even the prophet Samuel overlooked him as a possibility. Yet David was called by God. (1 Samuel 8, 9, 15, and 16)

Leadership matters in a church. As the leadership goes, so goes the church. When we step back and look at these qualifications, this list is unremarkable. There is no requirement for intelligence, physical strength or great personality. These qualifications are things that we would expect of any Christian. The focus is on the character so that our faith rests on the power of God. Every Christian should know what the qualifications of elders and deacons are to be able to choose men to fill the positions. Qualified leaders in a church matter because God has designed the church to be a pillar and buttress of truth - to protect and display the gospel. This was Paul’s concern in writing this letter.

Ungodly authority sacrifices others to serve self. Godly authority sacrifices self to serve others. You must ask, “Is the potential leader pursuing a Godly or ungodly authority?” Men aspiring to be elders must be honest, but also ruthless in putting the wrong motives to death to use authority in a Godly way.

Why does Paul assure the church that aspiring to be a leader is a noble task? The church had just fired two leaders for using their leadership in the wrong way, making it difficult to trust. (1 Timothy 1:20) If authority is misused anywhere, it creates real pain and suffering from real sin that demands real biblical justice. Not everyone in authority is bad. Some use it well. But we must remember that all authority comes from God for our good. Getting rid of authority was Satan’s idea in the Garden of Eden. God redeems authority.
What should the qualifications of an elder or pastor be?

Sermon Outline
1. Personal Qualifications – vs.2-3
2. Family Qualifications – vs. 4-5
3. Public Qualifications – vs. 6-7