Shabbat Shalom, everyone. Please turn with me to 1 Timothy chapter 3 today. We're going to deal with the Lord's help with the first few verses there in chapter 3, verses 1 to 7. And just before I'm going to read these verses, just to remind you that in our previous message, when we were together, we finished the second chapter, and we dealt with the sisters' place in the local assembly. And one thing that I've been encouraged to make a remark, one of the things that we have learned from the passage in 1 Timothy chapter 2, from verse 9 to verse 15, we have learned of the importance of modesty in the dress of our ladies, of the sisters, of the women in the local assembly.

But also, I've been encouraged to just mention the thought is that not only a matter of not dressing in a way that it's so expressing wealth, but also in the necessity of dressing in a modest way that it will not exposing oneself, body and so on. Just simply that it will be when we gather together, we can attract each other to the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, rather than to ourselves. This is important because we are gathered together as brothers and sisters in a local assembly, in a local meeting, and we want to be helpful to each other, to be occupied with the person of Yeshua the Messiah.

So today we begin in the third chapter, and I would like to read the first seven verses of 1 Timothy chapter 3. And please follow me. We read, "This is a true saying. If a man desires the office of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach, not given to wine, nor striker, not greedy or filthy looker, but patient, not a brawler, not covetous, one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection with all gravity. For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God?

Not a novice, lest being lifted up with pride he fall into the condemnation of the devil. Moreover, he must have a good report of them which are without, lest he fall into reproach and a snare of the devil." If you don't mind, just go down to verse 14. Paul continues and he says, "These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly. But if I tarry long, that you mayst know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth." I think I'm going to stop here and hopefully the Lord will help me with this ministry today.

Let me again, beloved brothers and sisters, remind us all that here the Apostle Paul is writing to Timothy whom he left in the city of Ephesus. You notice that? I mentioned it quite a few times. In verse 3 of chapter 1, Paul said, "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went into Macedonia." Apparently, all this letter of 1 Timothy is written to Timothy who remained in the city of Ephesus because already in this city of Ephesus there were many issues that arose among the brothers and sisters in the local church, in the local assembly. Paul writes to Timothy what you call pastoral letters. In other words, he's writing to him for the desire that he had in his heart to care for the welfare of the people of God.

He doesn't write this letter to criticize or to put someone down. He simply writes this letter to bring the people of God into alignment with the will of the Lord. Why it is? Because there is always an inclination in our hearts, in the hearts of the people of God, to go astray and to wander from the path that God had given in his word. It's not only for us today. It's not only for Timothy to the city of the Ephesians some 2,000 years ago, but it was even among our own Jewish people of Israel. God always has raised instruction through men of God with whom he gave them instruction that they can help the people of God.

Listen, after all, brothers and sisters, we have been saved out of the world, whether we are Jewish or non-Jewish. God has forgiven our own sins, brought us to be part of the family of God. Why? That we will carry on in our own ways? That we will carry on in the way we used to live? No. He saved us and he brought us to be part of a redeemed company so we will live for him here in this world, be a testimony for him in this world until the day come when he will take us to be with him in glory. And so he left us here for the express purpose to live out in some small measure the way in which he expects from his own people.

Yes, we fail. Yes, Satan attacks his people. Yes, the flesh is weak. Yes, the world is tempting us. Yet one thing we need to bear in mind. We all are always exhorted to carry on and to move forward and to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. So Paul left Timothy at Ephesus. He is writing to him this letter and he is telling him, Timothy, I want you to stay there and if I tell you long, Timothy, that you may know how you are to behave in the house of God, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and the ground of the truth.

If you want to know the truth of God and the ways of God, we don't learn it in the world. We learn it among the people of God who submit to the authority of the Lord that is found in the scriptures, in the word of God. So in chapter one, we talked about the danger in false teaching. In chapter two, which we have covered in our previous meetings, he dealt with the place of the brothers in praying the necessity to prayer and the sisters the necessity to submit to the leadership and to the authority of the Lord. And that he gave a place to the men in the assembly and to the women in the assembly.

The man is the head, the woman is the heart, and together they are to work together here in testimony for the Lord. But now he arrived to the third chapter or to this passage that we have read. Now he deals with the leadership of the local assembly, the leadership of the people of God. And I want to make a few points here as I'm going to go through verse by verse. You will notice, beloved brothers and sisters, that throughout history, God always raised men to lead his people. For example, he called Abraham our father in Genesis chapter 12, and he called him out of the world to become the father, the Abba, the father of the Hebrews.

And he became to be known the father of all believers. He called him out of Mesopotamia and gave him a responsibility to leave the land there, to leave his family, to leave the system of this world, and to go into the land that he had promised him. Abraham was called to be the father of a nation, the nation of Israel. He also called, for example, Moshe, Moses. And you remember Moses, who was in the land of Egypt, that he was born in Egypt. And how God had called Moses, you remember after the 40 years that he was in Egypt, then he took him to the wilderness, and there he called him at that burning bush.

And he said to him, Moses, Moses, Moshe, Moshe. And he called him to go back to Egypt to bring out our nation, the Hebrews, out of the land of Egypt, so he will become their leader to bring them into the promised land. In the beginning, Moses said, I'm not going to go, God. Who am I that you are going to call me to go to be a servant of thine and to bring thy people Israel outside of the land of Egypt? And yet God used him mightily. He also called David. You remember that he said, God, look for a man after his own heart. And when Shmuel went to the house of Yishai, Jesse, in the city of Bethlehem, he was looking for a man after God's own heart.

It was not the oldest son. It was not the second oldest son. It was not the third oldest son. It was not the fourth oldest son. But he ultimately took the youngest of this family of Yishai and he chose him to become a shepherd among the people of Israel. And we can just continue on with a man after man. What about Elijah, Eliyahu? Eliyahu Hanavi, he was a man who stood before God. And he became a prophet among our people, the people of Israel. And we can go on. You remember Shimon Petros in the Brit HaChadasha, Simon Peter? He was also chosen. Yeshua told him, he said, follow me and I will make you a fisher of men.

And Simon Peter, Shimon Petros became a leader among the early body of Messiah. And he became an elder, a shepherd among the people, the believers. And what about Shaul Paul? He's writing this letter to Timothy. And you remember when he was on the way to Damascus to hurt all the Hebrew believers there. He took them out of the synagogues. And on the way to Damascus, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah, spoke to him from heaven. And he said, Shaul, Shaul, why do you persecute me? And he called him to become a saved man. And he became a leader in the church, the assembly of the living God.

And we can just name so many other names that can come to our mind. Leaders among the people of God. But you see, one thing we learn, that the leadership in any local assembly is very important. There was a verse that Hosea wrote to Israel in Hosea chapter 4 and verse 9. He says, as the people, so are the priests or the leaders of Israel. In other words, the leadership influenced the people of God either in the right direction or in the wrong direction. As the people, so are those leaders or those priests that were from among the people of God. God gave instructions to the leaders to teach the people of God and to lead them forward in spiritual maturity.

And so we find out in these seven verses that in fact in the whole chapter 3. That there are what you call leadership in a local assembly that the Lord gave us qualification. What are the qualifications for leadership in the local assembly? And you will ask any spiritual leader, any Bible teacher, any shepherd. And you will ask them, can you tell me if you fit, if you qualified for every one of these instructions that you have here in 1 Timothy chapter 3. All of them will tell you, we have to admit that we have not risen to the high standard that is existing here in the instruction of 1 Timothy chapter 3.

Nevertheless, these are God's holy standards for his own people. We cannot drop it down. We cannot change it. But we can seek to rise up as the Lord helps us to become in some small measure that which the Lord is expecting from his own people. So now notice how it began. It began, first of all, of course, with verse 1. Verse 1 of 1 Timothy chapter 3. Paul began with this expression, this is a true saying. If a man desires the office of a bishop or an overseer, he desires a good work. That chapter began with this expression, this is a true saying. Or we can use the word, this is a faithful saying.

This expression, this is a true saying, or this is a faithful saying. In Hebrew, we say, ne'eman hadavar. This is ne'eman. This is faithful. It's found out in these letters more than once. You remember we read it in chapter 1. In verse 15, it says, this is a faithful saying. And worthy of all acceptation that the Messiah Yeshua came to this world to save sinners of whom I am the chief. This expression, this is a faithful saying, is mentioned again and again in these writings of Shaul Paul. If you turn to chapter 4 of 1 Timothy, Paul mentioned this again in verse 9. He says, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation.

There are certain things that become a faithful saying among the believers who have accepted this fact. Chapter 1, the Messiah came to save sinners. Chapter 3, a person who desired to serve the Lord and to oversee God's people is a wonderful desire. Chapter 4, tribulation and trials among the people of God is part of the life of the believer. This is a faithful saying. It is something that has been mentioned among the people of God in the early century of the assembly. And here the apostle begin by telling Timothy, Timothy, look, it is a faithful saying that what? That if a man desire the office or the ministry or the service of an overseer, he desire a good work.

Now, there's a couple of thoughts here on verse 1 that I think we need to clarify. You notice, first of all, he says, if a man, that word for man is a masculine rather than a feminine. In other words, we learn right here and from the rest of this chapter that when it's come to the shepherd, to the overseers and to the elders among the people of God in a local assembly, God gave this responsibility to the male men in contrast to the female. He did not give this responsibility to women. He gave this responsibility to men. We talked about it already in our previous ministry meeting in the second chapter.

How we don't find in the history of Israel a prophet, you might say, that is a woman. We find a few women that spoke in the word of the Lord in a certain time, but not among the people of God leading the people of Israel. There was no king or queens, I should say, among the people of Israel. There were not priestess among the people of Israel. God gave this responsibility, privilege and responsibility to the male men. That's the way God have ordained it because he have chosen to do so. The man is the head. The woman is the heart. The man is the one that God had given to him this responsibility of overseeing the people of God.

And there is more responsibility for them because of this. But you can see if a man, and he continues now, secondly, desire the office of a bishop. Now, when I was reading this in a study of the word of God, that expression bishop is a very complicated word. And you find out very quickly that the word bishop here simply means an overseer. The Greek word for that is episkopos, which simply means someone who oversees among the people of God. He is the shepherd. He is the one elsewhere. He is called to be an elder. He is the one taking a responsibility overseeing the people of God.

You never find one man who does that. It's oftentimes a plurality of elders or plurality of overseers. It's not a one man job, you might say, of ministry. Always working together with others, caring for the people of God. And so he says, if any man desire that office, or we should say better, the ministry or the service of overseeing the people of God, he desires a good work. I guess when you have the word here in the King James office, that's why sometimes people have the door or the office door, they have the word, the so-called pastor so-so or reverend so-so or bishop so-so. But really, brothers and sisters, we are not talking about office where you sit down and you write your, you know, you have your computer.

It is a ministry, it is a service for the people of God. It is something that comes out of the heart of a believer who have accepted Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah, as his Lord and Savior. And with all his failure, with all his shortcoming, he just desired to serve the Lord and to minister to the people of God. It is a sincere desire that comes out, not because I went to school, not because of somebody commended me, but it comes out of the heart of a believer who says, I want to minister to the people of God. It is not merely an office, it is a ministry, it is a service.

It doesn't start at nine o'clock and end at five o'clock. It is a ministry that takes you beyond hours and time and all sort of challenges that involve in a ministry among the people of God. And you notice, beloved brothers and sisters, it is a response of the heart of a believer that's saying, Lord, you have saved me. You have brought me to yourself, but I want now to serve you and I want to oversee the welfare of the people of God. Not to control them, not someone who is forcing the people of God or commending the people of God or usurping the people of God.

No, someone who simply wants to minister among the people of God. And how we need that today. And you see, when Shaul, when Paul wrote this to Timothy, apparently already then and there, there were creeping in people who took leadership among the people of God. And who were leading the people of God astray. And Paul was addressing this. He's saying, listen, Timothy, if I tarry long, he said, I want you to understand, to give this instruction to the believers to know how they are to behave among the people of God in the house of God. And by instructing them, they will be better led and they will be protected and guided and be a good testimony to the people of God.

So these are the desire of one who became a believer and he wanted to serve the Lord among the people of God. Now, if you don't mind to turn with me, please, to Acts chapter 20. The apostle Paul already warned the believers at Ephesus that there will be issues that will rise up in the city among the believers there. And you notice that in chapter 20 and verse 17, Paul, he was in Miltus. And from Miltus, he sent unto Ephesus. Here's the name, the city again, the city of Ephesus. And he called, who did he call? He called the elders of the assembly. The word for elders here, in the Greek, simply elder means P-R-E-S-B-Y-T-E-R-O-S.

Presbyteros. In other words, where we get the word Presbyterian. You know, that's where you get the word, the one who is simply an elder. There were many elders. You notice there were plurality of elders because he called the elders of the assembly, the church. And then he continued. And he says in verse 25. Now behold, I know that ye all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face no more. Wherefore, I take you to record this day that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

And then he tells them in verse 28. Take heed. Be careful. Therefore unto yourselves. He's speaking to the elders. And to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit have made you overseers. Here's the word overseers. Same word that we have in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 1. Therefore take unto yourselves unto all the flock of which the Holy Spirit have made you overseers. To feed the assembly of God which he has purchased with his own blood. Elders he's saying to them. Overseers he called them. You notice the same people who were called elders are also called overseers. We are having the name bishops here in 1 Timothy chapter 3.

Simply mean an overseer. You notice that they were plural. Not only one person but it was a plurality. They worked together in a local assembly. And he's saying to them. Listen. You take heed. You minister to the people of God. Taking oversight over them in order to lead them on in their walk with the Lord. And so Timothy. The apostle Paul is writing to him in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 1. He's saying a man's desire for serving among the people of God. They desire to have a good work. A good ministry. Notice the word here. Desires a good work. It's not merely an office. It's not merely a title.

But it's work. It is service among the people of God. To minister. Not only to teach the Bible but to minister. To seek to meet needs. To encourage the believers. To go on. It is a desire that must come out of the heart of an individual. And he gives us now in these next verses. A list of 16 things that he points out. 16 requirements in order to be in such a position. You might say in such a responsibility of eldership. Or of being a shepherd. Or being an overseer among the people of God. Now we're going to go over those 16 thoughts or 16 requirements. Are very high standard.

And again as I mentioned before. If you would honestly ask any spiritual leader. Any pastors or shepherds. They will all tell you. And if they are honest with the Lord. That they will say. We do not have arrived to all these high qualities. Yet nevertheless. These are God's requirements. God can never give us any lower requirement. His standard is extremely high. And we by the grace of God. Need to seek the Lord's help. To rise up to these requirements. Now let's look at those requirements. In verses 2 to 7. Notice that all these requirements. Have nothing to do with anything else. Except character. Character. It speaks about the character.

Which is required from among the servants of the Lord. It has nothing to do with their achievement. It's nothing to do with their name. It has nothing to do with what they have done. But it has to do with their character. It's a character that one has to have. In order to be able to be a blessing. A leader among the people of God. And he began of course. With the word blameless. Notice it says. A bishop. Or we should take even this name out. An overseer. Then must be blameless. Now when you think about blameless. There's only one. That was blameless. His name was Yeshua.

But we find out here. That the apostle. Is saying blameless. Someone that really have. Is above reproach. In other words. When you see his life. He's characterized in general. As a person. That you can't. Just blame him. For everything. He's above reproach. Someone that is. In Hebrew we say. Ein dofibo. In other words. When you see that person. When you see him. In his life. He's not someone. You can just blame him. For everything. He's above reproach. That word blameless. Is a very strong word. And yet. You know. The leader among the people of God. Cannot be just careless. He should be. Above reproach. Not a secondly.

In again. In two. And B. It says here. Also a husband. Of one wife. Notice. It doesn't say. A wife. Of one husband. But it does say. A husband. Of one wife. That suggests. Some suggest. Some call that. The expression. One woman man. A man that has. A wife. That he devote himself to her. And serve with her. The Lord. And being a man. An example. Desiring. Seeking her blessing. It's a man. That is. A husband. Of one wife. And especially. Think about. What happened. At Ephesus. At that time. Some people. Perhaps. Came from the world. Had more than one wife. Polygamy. Others have been.

Not involved. Only with one. Wife. All sort of. Relationship. And he says. No. You have to be. A husband. Of one wife. When we think. Of the various. Passages. In scriptures. Husband. Love your wife. Ephesians. Chapter 5. As the Messiah. Loved the church. And gave himself. For her. What a great. Example. It is. You know. When we think. Of many. Who have been. An example. To us. In our life. What a wonderful. Example. Wives. There have been. Such a good. Testimony. To the people. Of God. They have shown it. In their care. For their wives. And the way. They have treated. Their wives. Here is. A husband.

Of one wife. Not polygamy. Not one. That is. Involved. With all sort of. Situation. In his life. Is a man. That is devoted. To his own. Wife. Love her. Care for her. And ministering. To her. In chapter three. Verse two. See. One that is. Vigilant. The word. For vigilance. It's simply. One that is. Discreet. That have a good. Judgment. Good sense. Thinking. Logical. Thinking. Spiritually. In Hebrew. It says. Moshe. He is. Guiding. He has. Wisdom. From the Lord. management, evaluate things properly. Why? Because he has to help in various things to know how to deal with so many issues. And here's one of the things that is required by the eldership among the people of God.

Fourthly, in verse 2d, he's speaking about a man that ought to be sober, vigilant, and sober. The word here for sober can be humble and one that have a serious attitude. The things of the Lord is not something that he once for a while he continue with that and then he's not and so on. He has to have this in his mind, the sobriety is a person that is serious in his attitude. He means business with the Lord. And the Lord of course has to help him but he means he's sober. You know when a person is drunk he's not thinking through rightly and a person is called here to be sober, have a serious attitude in his life in order to be able to help the people of God.

Fifthly, in verse 2, it says here one that have good behavior. Notice that? I'm reading again. Having good behavior. Having orderly behavior. You know, sometimes our behavior is not always careful. We don't behave right. We can do so much harm where we don't behave in the right way. We often say to young children, you know, you better behave when you go to school or when you go with your friend. You better behave. Think right. Behave right. Have an orderly way when you conduct yourself. A person that is of good behavior. Sixthly, it says here in chapter 3, verse 2 still, it says given to hospitality. So beautiful to see that the person is in leadership also is hospitable.

You know, many times when we were young believers and the older brethren who used to teach us the word and instruct us often used to invite us to their homes. And it was so hospitable. They take the time to spend with the brothers and sisters and they were so hospitable. You can come to them and you can approach them with various needs and they were willing to invite you and to take the time with you in order to assist you and to help you. If you turn to Romans chapter 12 and verse 13, look what Paul writes when he's speaking about brotherly love. He says distributing to the necessity of saints, but also given to hospitality.

Hospitality is important among the people of God and especially if someone is overseeing God's people and you desire to be in a place of, you might say, of care of the flock of the people of God. Well, there are so many needs among the people of God and it's so precious when you can invite their brothers and sisters, take the time to spend with them, simply inviting people to spend time with you. In Hebrew, we call it machnis or him, machnis, bringing them in, bringing them in and inviting them and spending time with them in order to help them in their spiritual walk. Here's another verse in Hebrews chapter 13 that we read about the exhortation by the writer and he says in verse 1 and 2 of Hebrews chapter 13, let brotherly love continue, be not forgetful to entertain strangers.

For some have entertained angels unawares. Here's again the thought of being hospitable. We are all called to be hospitable, but here is one of the characteristics of the elders, of the overseers, is also to give, to be given to hospitality, to be one that is inviting people and take time to spend with them. Look at the number seven here on that list. We are still in verse 2 of 1 Timothy chapter 3. We read there up to teach. Now this is also important, brothers and sisters. See, what does that mean? It means that the elders, the overseers, the shepherds, also should be able to teach. Up to teach means simply a person that is able to teach others.

Now, it doesn't mean that he necessarily have the gift of a teacher, because teaching is also a gift. But he should be able to communicate the truth of the word of God with the people with whom he is serving with. Those flock that is under him. He is maybe not as capable as teachers that God gave them specifically the gift of teaching. But the elders should be able to be up to teach, to be able to instruct, to guide us. You know, there are many questions that are rising up among the people of God. What to do? What do you think about this? How to handle this situation?

What does the word teach us about certain things? Well, the overseer should be able also to teach the word so he can be a blessing to the people of God. I want to read a verse in the book of James. Just turn with me to James chapter 3. So, in verse 3, the apostle Yaakov said to the believers to whom he wrote, he says, brethren, my brethren, be not many teachers. Why? Knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. You know, how important it is to teach sound teaching. Because what the leader teach, others follow. And by teaching that which is right, it helps the flock. It helps the people of God to know in which direction to go.

But if you have all sorts of teachings that are not sound, which we often hear, and we find out that there are various things that are being taught that are not leading the people of God in the right direction. That's why he is saying to Timothy, Timothy, listen, the shepherds, the overseers, the elders need to be able to teach. And to teach sound teaching, sound word. Then notice that, beloved brothers and sisters, in number 8, is in verse 3, 1 Timothy 3, and verse 3, not given to wine. It's interesting here, this verse, why not to be given to wine? Because there is always a possibility for one to be under the control of wine.

And when a person is under the control of wine, rather than to be sober and straight in his thoughts, in his thinking, he's able to become like a fool. You know, for example, you remember when Noah came outside of the ark in Genesis chapter 8 and 9? It didn't take too long. He was working the field, you might say, and he got drunk. And you remember what happened? How one of his sons were mocking him. And then the other two sons had to take a blanket or something and to cover his nakedness because one of his sons were laughing at him because he became drunk. And wine, it's not so much the problem with the wine.

The problem is that sometimes God's people, especially the servants of God, are not capable to take care of themselves, to control themselves. And wine become that which influence them in their decision making. By the way, that's why some in various groups of believers, anyone who is in eldership will never be allowed. You don't touch wine whatsoever. Others believe, no. It's just simply you don't allow yourself to be controlled. If you want to take a little glass of a wine with a meal, it's one thing. But to be controlled by the wine, because look what it says here. Wine is a mocker. Strong drink is raging.

And whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise. You know, in Pesach, we are Jewish people, we're supposed to drink four cups of wine. My mother always told me, you cannot drink four cups of wine, you drink four sips of wine. Why? Because she knew very well how, you know, we get so dizzy. Because if you are not able to control it, you are going to become like a fool. Wine is mocker. I didn't say it. Shlomo ha-melech, King Solomon said it. Look at Proverbs. Chapter 23, verse 29. It says, Who hath woe? Who hath sorrow? Who hath contentions? Who hath bubblings? Who hath wounds without cause? Who hath redness of the eyes?

They that tarry long at the wine. They that go to seek mixed wine. Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself right. At the last, listen to this, verse 32, it biteth like a serpent, and it stingeth like an adder. Again, I want to say, beloved brothers and sisters, we know very well that wine is able to control us. Remember Paul said in the book of Ephesians that, Be not drunk with wine wherein there is excess, but be filled with the Spirit of God, with the Holy Spirit. So, here's the instruction that Paul is giving to Timothy, how to instruct the believers at Ephesus, and it is also applied to believers today.

One has to be very careful because wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging, and whosoever is enticed by it is simply not wise. Then notice in chapter 3 again, the next thing is verse 3, this is the second one, is not a striker. In Hebrew, it's used the word without giving a punch. You know, a striker, the person is always looking for trouble, looking for conflicts. You know, there are so many things among the people of God, so many problems that the people of God have, that the last thing they need is constant conflict. In other words, the elder, the overseer, the shepherd, should be one who makes peace.

Not looking to make trouble, not a striker, one that is constantly looking for arguments. It's a person that is seeking to make shalom, to make peace among the people of God. Not one that is looking for constant conflict. Sometimes it seems to be that if we are not careful, we are looking for conflict over certain things, and it does not help, it does not edify, it doesn't build the believers, those that are seeking for constantly conflict, cannot help the people of God. And that's why Paul is saying in chapter 3, verse 3, not a striker. Look at the next thing, in 1 Timothy 3, verse 3, the next one is not greedy or filthy looker.

And that expression of filthy looker has to do with not just simply the whole motive of the service for the Lord, is because one want to get gain, filthy looker. As if it is the only motive of his ministry, of his service, is how to gain a financial gain. It's become filthy looker. It's not merely ministry. Yes, the servant of the Lord needs to be ministered to and supported, but it's not that he's greedy for filthy looker. That ought not to be the desire of the shepherd, of the overseers, of the elder. His desire to be the minister to the people of God. And the Lord is the one that in return providing for him.

But it's not that he is the one that is greedy or filthy looker. This is also very important in the life of the overseers. Let's go to the next one. It's an amazing list that we have here. The next one is patient. Chapter 3 and verse 3 again. This is the fourth word in verse 3. It's a person who is patient. Now all I tell you. You don't become a patient person automatically. The Bible says in Romans chapter 5, tribulation, work as patience. And so the more you experience troubles in your life, you become more patient with others. Now we need to have patience. And I can tell you, in patience, we all can say, well, Lord, how often we fail in these areas.

Who have patience, you know? You remember there is a person that there was a sign on the table. She said, God, give me patience and I want it now. Well, you want to get patience now. How do you get patience? You go through trials and tribulations in your life. You don't get patience. God does not send a pound of patience and all of a sudden you become a very patient man. You go through experience in life. And the overseer, the elder, the shepherd, is learning lessons in his life which develop in his life a character of a patient individual. It doesn't mean that he never gets upset.

He never loses temper. But it's not something that characterizes him. He's a person that bears with things. Think of the Lord, how he bore with us. Think of Moshe. We read today about Moses in Numbers chapter 11. And how long can I take care of these people? And how when Israel rebel and disobeyed and how Moses could not take it because he had a lot of pressure. But at least he was characterized by patience towards the people of God. And that is such a beautiful character to develop in the life of the overseer, of the elder, of the one that is a shepherd among the people of God.

Then notice the next thing. It says here in verse 3, not a browler. In other words, not a troublemaker. This is again the last one in verse 3, not a browler. In other words, not one that makes trouble. You know, we don't look for trouble. There's plenty of trouble that comes our way. We don't need to cause trouble everywhere or to someone else. This is another beautiful character. It's just like earlier we mentioned, not the one that is a striker, but also not a browler. Not the one that is a troublemaker. One that caused trouble. We need to build the people of God, not to cause them trouble.

And if a person desired the office or the ministry of serving the Lord among the people of God, he should be the kind of a person that desired to make peace, to bring people together on the basis of the word of God, to be assisting the people of God and not causing problem among the people of God. Here's one more in chapter 3. In verse 3, notice it says, not covetous. That perhaps will go along with not greedy or filthy looker, not covetous. Covetousness is often time we fail and we covet that which we don't have or that which someone else has have. A person ought to not to be one that is coveting.

Just simply acknowledging God, thank you for what you have provided and your will be done. And you can provide, but not to covet, not to desire that which does not belong to one. And how beautiful to see that in a life of the leadership among the people of God. Well, we have covered chapter 3, verse 2 and verse 3. And now look at the last ones in verses 4, 5, 6 and 7. In verses 4 and 5 is one that is managing his house well. Boy, that is such an amazing requirement. Let me read those verses. It says here in verse 4, You know, that tells us the responsibility that the elder or the shepherd or the overseer has to have.

If he cannot take care of his own house with his own family, how can he help the family of God? Those of us that raise family, we know how difficult it is when the children are young and that they are under your responsibility and things are working well. But you see, when they get to a certain time, to a certain age, when they make their own decision and the rebellion coming and so on, how important it is for the elder, for the overseer to seek to take care of his own house. This way he can help the household of God, the people of God. And we all confess that we have so much need in this area.

Notice verse 6 gives us the fact that the person ought not to be novice and new believer. You know, when we became believers, new believers, we always immediately kind of had the desire to serve the Lord. But when the older brother says, wait a minute, take your time, take one step at a time, it's so good when we hear that because a new believer has no experience. And, you know, even if you have zeal for the Lord, which is beautiful, but the new believer needs to grow. Before one leads, he needs to be led. Before one is instructing, he needs to be instructed. So it's so appropriate because notice it says in verse 6, Not a novice, lest, why, lest being lifted up with pride, he fall into the condemnation of the devil.

Do you know, brothers and sisters, how sin enter into this world? By pride. In fact, Satan, Lucifer, he was that angel that was created by God to be his servant, but he was not satisfied with what the Lord had given to him. So in chapter 28 of the book of Ezekiel and chapter 14 of the prophet Isaiah, we read of how he lifted up himself in pride. And he says, I will be like the most high. In fact, he was so proud that he wanted to dethrone God and set himself on the throne. And then God said to him, you have cast down. And God had placed him down and cast him down.

And since that time, Satan became an adversary to God and God's people. And how do you think the first sin entered into this world? In the Garden of Eden. The same Satan, who is the one who beguiled Eve in the Garden, has God said. And it is the same Satan who is oftentimes, as it says here, causing us to lift up ourselves in pride. And then ultimately we find one falling to the same condemnation as the devil. Pride, remember, comes before a fall. And it is so important that the believer will grow, a new believer will grow. It is good to have a desire to serve the Lord and to oversee God's people.

But it takes time as the brother grows and learns, instructs and serves. And then slowly but surely, as the Lord fits him into a service, he can be used by the Lord. But one has to be extremely careful. A new believer should not be taking a place to oversee the people of God. And it is appropriate, and it's the right thing for the benefit of the people of God. In fact, it is for the benefit of that brother, because pride is one of the last things that dies in a person's life. Pride is what we have and we struggle with all our life. Ezekiel 28 shows us the fall of Satan.

Isaiah 14 shows us the fall of Satan. And Genesis chapter 3 shows us the fall of man. It all came because of pride. And finally, beloved brothers and sisters, look at this. In verse 7, he continues and he gives the last instruction out of these 16 instructions. He says here, Moreover, he must have a good report of them that are without, lest he fall into the reproach and the snare of the devil. Here, the second time he used the word the devil here, in this verse 6 and verse 7. But this time, the overseer or the shepherd or the elder have to have a name, a good name of those that are without.

What do people think about you and I, outside of the world? How do we deal in our relationship with others? Well, the elder, the overseer, need to have a good report. That people will tell, oh, you know what, this person, oh, he might be a believer in Yeshua and the Messiah and I don't agree with him. But you know what? When I made a business with him, he dealt with me right. When I had an arrangement with him, he dealt in the right way with me. And that I can say that he has a good way, a good conduct from those outsiders. The unbelieving world is looking at the people of God and they say, they have remarks to say, Well, these people, maybe they believe in certain things that I don't agree with, but I can tell you, he treated me well in my relationship with him.

He was fair. He was honest. He was right with me in the relationship, in my dealing with him. And it's so important because why the devil, oftentimes, wants to attack the people of God in this context is to attack the leadership. And the devil is oftentimes successful in beguiling the leaders, the servants of the Lord. And then even in their relationship outside, causing them to stumble in their relationship with the outsider. So, I want to close with these two, one or two remarks. And I mentioned the standard is high. I don't think anybody who is honest before the Lord, any leader, any shepherd, any elder, or any overseer can tell you, I've arrived.

The moment he says that, you know that there is a problem here. But nevertheless, brothers and sisters, this is God's standard. That that we fail in this does not change for a moment God's holy requirement from his people. If we fail, we cannot say to God, God, you are wrong. If we fail, we can only confess it before the Lord and say, Lord, I want to do the right thing, but I fail. I want to serve you among the people of God, but I need you to help me as I minister to God's people. I'm a human being. You know what Paul said in Romans chapter 7?

The things that I want to do, that I don't do. The things that I don't want to do, that I do. Oh, wretched man that I am. He confessed that he's weak. Unless the Lord helped, he cannot continue without the Lord's help. The second thing that I want to mention is, there is a great responsibility for the people of God to pray for the shepherds, for the overseers, for the elders. We neglect these beloved brothers. We think that the leaders are supermen. Everything they do is right. And if they do something wrong, we immediately accuse them as if they're wrong and we are right. We need to pray for the servants, for the people of God.

How many of us have benefited, I'm speaking for myself, from elders that have been such an example in our lives, such a blessing in our lives, that the very fact that I'm here, even today, that he's able to stand and to share the word is because of the benefit that I have benefited from brothers who have lived for the Lord and have set an example in our life. They were not perfect, but they wanted to serve the Lord, to minister to God, and to exalt Yeshua the Messiah among the people of God. I'm going to close with one verse, and we are done for today.

Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 and verse 25. Here's one of the shortest verses in the Bible. Look what Paul is saying. Brethren, Achim, he says, pray for us. Brethren, pray for us. Shaul Paul said. You might ask him, Paul, why should we pray for you? Well, pray for us because we need the Lord's help as we serve him in the things of the Lord among the people of God. Brethren, he says, pray for us. And I encourage you to pray yourself for the leadership wherever you are, whether it is for us in our case or wherever you are, pray for the servants of the Lord because Satan desiring to destroy the testimony of our Lord Yeshua the Messiah here in this world.

May the Lord help us.