You’ve read the warning label. “Don’t operate heavy machinery or drive after taking this medication.” It’s a bad idea to get behind the controls of a bulldozer after swigging down a dose of NyQuil. None of us should climb into the cockpit of an F-22 Raptor fighter jet after a wine tasting. And you certainly don’t want your cruise ship captain high at the helm.
Seriously, you need a clear head and clear eyes when you’re behind the wheel of any vehicle. That’s particularly important for those serving and guiding God’s church. The Apostle Paul tells his protege Timothy that it’s critical for these leaders to be “sober-minded” (v2). As an overseer, you can’t be buzzed or distracted. There’s too much at stake. You need focus. You need to be aware of what’s going on. You need clear eyes and a clear head to be the designated driver for the congregation.
Apparently somebody has been driving the Ephesian church under the influence of something other than the Holy Spirit. Paul has sent Tim to be the new pastor after a crew of spiritual con artists hijack believers and driven God’s people into a ditch (1Tim 1:3-7). The apostle has already taken the keys away from two guys named Hymenaeus and Alexander (1Tim 1:20).
As a result, there’s a vacuum in the Ephesian leadership. Paul gives his spiritual son a list of character traits for godly leaders (1Tim 3:1-7). The big idea is that “an overseer must be above reproach” (v2). Everything else in this list are just specific ways in which a leader should be blameless. In his marriage. In his family. In his career. In his ministry. New leaders are needed. But they must have integrity in every area of their lives. A jerk at work will be a jerk at church.
Are you wondering just what an overseer is? A quick check of the New Testament tells us these are also called pastors and elders. In other words, these are the men Jesus taps to direct His local church. They serve our Savior and His followers. They go where He guides. Scripture calls them overseers because they need great vision. They look to the horizon toward the destination. They look out for trouble along the way. They look out for the health and well-being of the other believers who are making the trip. You see, you need clear eyes and a clear head to be a designated driver.
That’s why Paul makes it clear that these leaders must be “sober-minded, self-controlled” (v2). The first word in the original language is nephalios, which literally means holding no wine. Needless to say, you don’t want someone in the driver’s seat of the church with glass of Merlot in the cup holder. It may be 5 o’clock somewhere, but not when you’re responsible for care and direction of God’s people.
Is the apostle calling for a zero-tolerance policy toward booze? There are some churches and denominations who believe this calls for pastors, elders, and overseers to avoid drinking any alcohol. While that may not be a bad idea, you might find it difficult to use the Bible to back that up. Jesus’ very first miracle was to keep the party going by turning water into wine at a wedding reception (Jn 2:6-11). Our Savior apparently liked a good glass of Cab (Mt 11:19). He made it a central point of the Last Supper and looks forward to the day when He can enjoy a bottle with us one day soon (Lk 22:15-20). Even Paul goes so far as to tell Tim to regularly take a swig of wine for health reasons (1Tim 5:23).
The apostle pairs this quality up with an overseer being “self-controlled” (v2). He uses the Greek term sophron. This paints the picture of someone who is sensible and has a sound and healthy mind. It emphasizes the ability to curb desires and impulses. The word carries the idea of being safe. While leaders must be creative and think outside the box, they’re head isn’t filled with wild ideas. They’re not looking to take dangerous chances.
Youtube is filled with folks who have no self-control. You know the videos I’m talking about. It usually involves a guy riding some sort of vehicle and a ramp. You get bonus knucklehead points for including fireworks or explosives. Someone with self-control rarely utters words like, “Hey y’all, watch this!” or “Somebody hold my beer!” We don’t need clips on the internet of someone driving the church of Jesus into the ditch on purpose. We need overseers who are “self-controlled” (v2). After all, it is clear evidence that God’s Spirit is producing fruit in the life of every believer (Gal 5:22-23).
As we said earlier, someone who is “self-controlled” is able to restrain their passions and emotions. We should be in control of our desires and impulses. Or as the fans of “Seinfeld” like to say, the master of my domain. The big idea for the followers of Jesus: don’t let ANYTHING control you other than His Spirit (Eph 5:18)! For some of us that means total abstinence. Don’t allow anything other than Christ to be the driving force in your life, ESPECIALLY when you’re looking out for the welfare of others.
An elder must be totally focused on what he’s doing. He’s ready to resist temptation and distraction. Think of a dad behind the wheel of the minivan on a family vacation. Nobody should have to tell him to keep his eyes on the road and not text and drive. He’s not looking to catch air and trade sheet metal like Mad Max flying down Fury Road. It’s not just about him. He’s watching out for his wife and kids with him. There’s too much at stake. In the same way, an overseer must be keenly aware of what’s going on. He can’t be a distracted driver when he’s the designated driver.
So how do we as followers of Jesus apply this truth? First of all, this list of qualifications for leadership in the local church isn’t just describing a handful of rockstar believers. Paul is painting a picture of what a mature follower of Jesus looks like. We should all be headed in this direction. Each one of us needs to stay focused on Christ. Stephen Covey says, “Keeping the main thing the main thing is the main thing.” In case you forgot, following Jesus is our main thing! If you’re easily distracted and a “brightest light in the room” kinda guy like me, this is a very big deal. I constantly need to be…look, a squirrel! See what I mean?
That also means we must resist the temptation to continually try to get the attention of our pastors, elders, and overseers every time something happens in our lives. Again, let’s go back to the analogy of the family vacation. We can’t keep tapping dad on the shoulder each time we see something cool on the latest Pixar movie in the DVD player. I’m NOT saying we shouldn’t keep them in the loop on prayer requests and praises. But they’re eyes need to be on the road and not lost in the weeds. This is one of the big reasons we need to be in Gospel community in small groups. They’re your go-to folks. They’re your 911 call.
Just like a jumbo jet has a full crew in the cockpit, an overseer shouldn’t be flying solo when leading the local church. Some people call this leadership by a plurality of elders. All throughout the book of Acts, you see a teams of elders guiding and leading local congregations (Acts 11:30; 14:23; 15:2-6, 22-23; 16:4; 21:28). Churches in Philippi (Phil 1:1) and Ephesus (Acts 20:17, 28; 1Tim 5:17) had multiple elders. Paul tells Titus to appoint several elders in each local church (Titus 1:5). Jesus’ kid brother instructs us to give the leadership team a heads up when we’re sick (James 5:14). While the lead pastor should be first among equals and the tip of the spear, he doesn’t lead alone. You need a team of overseers holding each other accountable and making sure no one gets distracted.
Elder must learn to keep their emotions and passions in check. We tend to make our worst decisions when we’re the most emotional. Andy Stanley points out our emotions make it almost impossible to see straight, think straight, and decide straight. We’re NOT saying leaders should be some sort of dispassionate Mr. Spock. As a matter of fact, you’re in a position of leadership specifically BECAUSE you have a burning passion for the Gospel and God’s church. Just be very careful you don’t make a rash decisions out of an emotional reaction.
You don’t want to be at the helm of a oil tanker when you’re tanked. Don’t operate a backhoe when you’re blitzed. And it’s never a good idea to race at Daytona when you’re distracted. In the same way, overseers in Jesus’ church must be “sober-minded, self-controlled” (v2). There’s too much at stake when you are His designated drivers.
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