Simon Says Follow The Leader: A Leader Worth Following

To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:1-4 (NIV)

Simon Says Be Like The __________ ________________.

From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders of the church. ¹⁸ When they arrived, he said to them…²⁸ Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.

Acts 20:17-18a, 28 (NIV)

Poimēn           =          ______________________________

Episkopos    =          ____________________________

Presbyteros =          ____________________________

The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to you shepherds of Israel who only take care of yourselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? ³ You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock. ⁴ You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. ⁵ So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. ⁶ My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth, and no one searched or looked for them…¹⁰ This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am against the shepherds and will hold them accountable for my flock. I will remove them from tending the flock so that the shepherds can no longer feed themselves. I will rescue my flock from their mouths, and it will no longer be food for them. Ezekiel 34:1-6, 10 (NIV)

God says less _______ & more ______, till the Chief Shepherd brings ______.

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. ² Now the overseer is to be above reproach, faithful to his wife, temperate, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, ³ not given to drunkenness, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money. ⁴ He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. ⁵ (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?) ⁶ He must not be a recent convert, or he may become conceited and fall under the same judgment as the devil. ⁷ He must also have a good reputation with outsiders, so that he will not fall into disgrace and into the devil’s trap. 1 Timothy 3:1-7 (NIV)

⁶ An elder must be blameless, faithful to his wife, a man whose children believe^[b] and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. ⁷ Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain. ⁸ Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined. ⁹ He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it. Titus 1:6-9 (NIV)

Poimēn           =          ______________________________

Episkopos    =          ____________________________

Presbyteros =          ____________________________

TO BECOME A LEADER WORTH FOLLOWING, LIKE CHRIST I MUST…

1. ____________ & ________ TO __________.

Here is a trustworthy saying: Whoever aspires to be an overseer desires a noble task. 1 Timothy 3:1 (NIV)

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Matthew 23:37 (NIV)

…whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, ⁴⁴ and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:43b-45 (NIV)

2. BUILD A _________________ THAT WITHSTANDS ______________.

Now the overseer is to be above reproach… 1 Timothy 3:2a (NIV)

Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 1 Peter 2:12 (NIV)

As soon as the chief priests and their officials saw him, they shouted, “Crucify! Crucify!” But Pilate answered, “You take him and crucify him. As for me, I find no basis for a charge against him.” John 19:6 (NIV)

3. BE __________ TO MY ________. …faithful to his wife… 1 Timothy 3:2b (NIV)

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her ²⁶ to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, ²⁷ and to present her to himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Ephesians 5:25-27 (NIV)

I am jealous for you with a godly jealousy. I promised you to one husband, to Christ, so that I might present you as a pure virgin to him.

2 Corinthians 11:2 (NIV)

4. KEEP MY _______________ IN CHECK DURING _________________.

Now the overseer is to be…temperate…” 1 Timothy 3:2c (NIV)

Jesus commanded Peter, “Put your sword away! John 18:11a (NIV)

5. ALLOW ____________________ TO __________ MY LIFE.

Now the overseer is to be…self-controlled… 1 Timothy 3:2d (NIV)

But the fruit of the Spirit is…self-control… Galatians 5:22, 23a (NIV)

6. SET AN ______________ OTHERS ______________ & ____________.

Now the overseer is to be…respectable… 1 Timothy 3:2e (NIV)

People were overwhelmed with amazement. “He has done everything well,” they said. Mark 7:37 (NIV)

7. ________ PEOPLE THAT ARE __________________.

Now the overseer is to be…hospitable… 1 Timothy 3:2f (NIV)

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.”

Luke 19:5-7 (NIV)

8. BE ________________ TO TEACH ____________.

Now the overseer is to be…able to teach… 1 Timothy 3:2g (NIV)

In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Hebrews 5:11-12 (NIV)