Leaders of the church must be spiritually mature. In this portion of the overseer’s qualifications, Paul highlights moral purity, a sober mind, a sound mind, and an ordered mind. These traits reveal that godliness involves more than fleeing certain vices; it requires earnestly pursuing Christ, who alone can transform our character and conduct. May the Lord not only raise up leaders who exemplify these qualities but also grow all of us into greater likeness to Jesus.
Who shepherds the church of God? The answer begins with Jesus Himself. The church belongs to Him. He is its head, its foundation, and its life source (the vine). He has placed elders as stewards and overseers to shepherd His people according to His Word. Biblical eldership is a high calling. Men who serve in this capacity must be above reproach, with nothing to hinder or compromise their faithfulness to Christ. In this introductory study, we explore five biblical principles of eldership: the office, the work, the qualification, the appointment, and the aspiration.
What fits a man to shepherd God’s people is a moral integrity and clear biblical thinking. These are the first two marks of a mature spiritual leader.
Church leadership matters because Jesus cares. When He restored Peter, Jesus’ thoughts were fixed on the care for His sheep. Christ loves His church. Shepherding is an excellent work, for it reflects the heart of Christ that seeks the spiritual welfare of His flock.
Christ, in His humanity, possessed a genuine human will, which He submitted perfectly to the Father. He did what every man should have done but could not because of his fallenness. In contrast to man, who sought equality with God, Christ, though equal to God, submitted to the Father’s will.
After his experience at the cross, Christian encounters three drowsy men: Simple, Lazy, and Arrogance. These men, being bound by chains, are oblivious to spiritual matters and unaware of the dangers of sin. They refuse to take heed to God’s warnings about spiritual carelessness, laziness, and pride, and would rather shut their eyes and sleep.
Through these characters, Bunyan warns us against falling into subtle traps of sin that lead to spiritual drowsiness. Instead, Christians are called to take heed, wake up, and humble themselves before the Lord.
As Christian comes to the cross, he learns that salvation is found in Jesus Christ alone. Through His death on the cross, Christ paid the penalty for our sins, bringing forgiveness and freedom from the bondage of sin to those who believe in Him.
Through Christian’s experience, we learn that true faith means more than simply knowing about Jesus. We must repent of our sins, trust in Christ as our Savior, and deny ourselves to follow Him as Lord. In Christ, we find the joy of salvation and the beginning of a new life.
As Christian continues through the Interpreter’s House, he encounters a man trapped in a cage, representing someone who has turned away from Christ to pursue the pleasures of the world. This serves as a serious warning against hardening our hearts and reminds us to seek the Lord while we still can.
Through the vision of the unprepared dreamer, we also learn about the certainty and seriousness of God's coming judgment. We are reminded to examine our faith, persevere in following Christ, and share the gospel with others so they too may be rescued from judgment.
We jump to another part of Israel’s history where Hezekiah becomes king over Judah. Hezekiah is a king like no other because he clung to the LORD. During his reign, a new king of Assyria rises with great power, blasphemes God, and threatens Judah. Will Hezekiah trust God against this powerful king with a mighty army or will he surrender?
When God promises to make a mere servant, Jeroboam, into the king of Israel, what does He expect from him in return?
