1 Timothy 3:2

2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (1 Timothy 3:2, NIV).

For those of you who missed last week, we have started a series on the qualifications of elders, of church leaders. We are asking people to read the text here in 1 Timothy and give us the names of people who you think qualify for the position of overseer, bishop or elder in the church. Many of you have sent emails or have personally spoken to one of the elders about your thoughts. We appreciate the feedback. I will go on to say that if there are any of you would like to serve in that position, don’t be afraid to speak up. If you desire the office of elder, you desire a noble task. Speaking up will not guarantee you a spot, but speaking up and expressing your desire is welcome in this church.

The first requirement for a leader is that they be blameless, above reproach. We find this in 1 Timothy 3:2. 2 Now the overseer must be above reproach, the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, (1 Timothy 3:2, NIV).

Many scholars, myself included, view the phrase “above reproach” as the main requirement. The next eleven flesh out this one major requirement, “above reproach.” If this is so, then to be above reproach would look like the husband of but one wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, and so on.

The idea behind this is that someone who is above reproach is someone that you cannot blame. If you took that person to a court of law, they would not have enough evidence to convict in these areas. No one can make a case against them.

This is important to understand. It does not show perfection. Someone might see someone lose control. But when they bring it up, they find it is an isolated instance. This is not the way the person is all the time. This is not their reputation. This is not their character. Or they might not be willing to have a missionary come to their house to stay because of other plans. But they are not known as people who show no hospitality, who hate people and don’t want guests. To be above reproach means to be guilty enough of something that someone could bring a case against you and win in the court of public or church opinion.

So who wants to live that way? Who wants people to look at them and see their faults? Who wants to be known as a thief or a murder or a slanderer?

It may surprise you to know that there are people in this world who do not care if people know that they sin. They don’t care if people know they drink too much or sell illegal drugs. They don’t care what people think about them. They are going to do what they want to do, and if you don’t like it, be quiet and get out of the way.

But what Christian adopts that attitude? What Christian wants a bad reputation, a bad wrap? When Christ comes into our lives, there is the before and the after. We are forgiven our sins. That happens when we accept Christ. But baptism symbolized the burial of sin, the burial of the old life. The old life is past. It may hang on to us. We may experience real struggles. But in the old life it wasn’t a struggle, we just did what we wanted to do, no matter how wrong it might have been. It’s a struggle now because we fight the flesh and are seeking to live differently. We want to honor God with our lives.

The resurrection symbolizes the new life we have in Christ. We don’t want to live the way we did before. Christ changes all of that for us. So what Christian wants to have a blot against their name? What Christian wants to be known for something negative?

Again, I am talking about something different than the struggle between living the old life or living the new life. This issue that is a reproach is the habitual practice of something that is wrong. These things, as we shall see, even good moral people who are not Christians would agree are wrong.

If a Christian leader, an elder, a leader in the church, is known for their bitterness, their anger, their violence, their dishonesty, their immorality, what affect does this have on the church? I will tell you that we can justify the presence of anyone in this church. Christ died for sinners. We all are sinners. And if people who are not living right come to this church as the first step in getting their life together, they are welcome. We’ve all been at that starting point. We all know how hard it is to come across the threshold of the church the fist time. But we came. We heard the word of God. It changed our lives.

There is a difference, though, when we consider picking church leaders, that if they have not changed, they have not shed the old life, if they still have a reputation, then we should wait until they get their act together, until the Lord works in their lives, until there is victory in these areas, before they become leaders.

Just because someone is successful in the business world does not make them successful in the church. The bottom line of business is profit. The bottom line of the church is glorifying God. These are much different agendas. The leaders in business are take charge people. The leaders in the kingdom of God are people with servant attitudes. To assume that success in one area will guarantee success in the other is just not right.

So if the qualification of above reproach were to be applied to you, would you qualify? Or is there something in your life that is not right that you have no plans to change?

I want to challenge you today to commit to change in that area that you are thinking about right now.

The first change for anyone is to stop trusting yourself and to start trusting Jesus. He died on the cross for you. His purpose was to bring you back to God. He rose again to give you a new life. That new life is the new life he gives, not the one you make up for yourself. The Bible tells us that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him, should not perish, but have everlasting life. The first step in change is to believe in Jesus. Put your faith in Him. Trust Him.

When you do, God comes into your life. He fills you and works on you from the inside out. The Holy Spirit comes in. The Holy Spirit is God, what we call the third person of the trinity, comes in and puts new desires, new promptings, new hopes in you.

So the first step is to put your trust in Jesus.

The second step is illustrated by a man named Zacchaeus. His story is found in Luke 19.

1 Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. 3 He wanted to see who Jesus was, but being a short man he could not, because of the crowd. 4 So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. 5 When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” 6 So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. 7 All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a ‘sinner’.” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:1-10, NIV).

Here is a man who was a sore spot in his community. He was known as a cheat. He overcharged people for their taxes. Everyone knew him and everyone hated him.

Jesus comes through Jericho where Zacchaeus lives. Jesus invites himself to his house. Zacchaeus is flabbergasted. He cannot believe that a holy man, a rabbi, that Jesus would every come to his house. Notice in verse 7 that the people were stunned. Jesus went to the home of a sinner. But don’t be surprised. Look at verse 10. Jesus didn’t come to visit the synagogue, though he attended. He didn’t come to visit the church, though the church would not officially form until the day of Pentecost. He came to save what was lost. He came to come into the homes of sinners. He wants to sit down with you, eat your food, and talk about your life. He wants to offer you help. He doesn’t want to come to your house and condemn you. He wants to help you, to save you from your sin.

Look at what happens to Zacchaeus. After Jesus was in his home, his entire life changed. Before it was all about money. He was very wealthy. But now it is about making things right. .” 8 But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.”

Let me ask you a question. What would his actions have done for his reputation? How would they have affected his reproach? Would you not agree with me that if anyone came to you and offered to pay you four times what he cheated out of you, you would be surprised, impressed, and wonder at the change. You would say, “Jesus made a difference in his life.”

So for those of you who know Jesus, the second step is to make things right. Do you have a problem? Make it right. Zacchaeus did. You can too, with God’s help. Is your reproach an addiction? It’s time to tackle it straight on. Come to Jesus and get help. Make it right. Does your reproach involve hurting or harming someone? Swallow your pride and make it right. Own your own sin and do whatever needs to be done to remove the reproach to the best of your ability. The apostle Paul had been a Christian-killer before Jesus visited him. He dedicated the rest of his life to telling people that someone who killed Christians could be forgiven. He made it right. He won over the people by his faithfulness to God.

If you are going to respond to this message, tell someone. Tell someone right away. If you don’t tell someone you will get cold feet. It’s hard to do what Zacchaeus did. God can help you. But he has made us part of a body. Get someone who will support you, will pray for you, will help you, someone who is a godly person. And get your record cleared up.

You will feel better for it. You don’t need to carry that weight any longer. Do what is right. Make things right.

Others will feel better for it. When they see that your life is changing they will be glad. It might take a week, a month or even years. But when you live above reproach, others will notice.

God will be pleased. Jesus came to save sinners from sin. When you and I reject sin and live for God, he is pleased. We will still struggle, but God, who knows our hearts, will see the progress.

We do not want perfect people for leaders in the church. But we do want people who are above reproach. We want people who, if placed under the mirror, have nothing that people could use against them.

Send me a list or write on the insert any you think that fit the bill.