Lesson: 9 Faithful in your authority
1 Timothy 3:1-7 - www.bible.com/bible/59/1ti.3

1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task.
2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach,
3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
4 He must manage his own household well, with all dignity keeping his children submissive,
5 for if someone does not know how to manage his own household, how will he care for God’s church?
6 He must not be a recent convert, or he may become puffed up with conceit and fall into the condemnation of the devil.
7 Moreover, he must be well thought of by outsiders, so that he may not fall into disgrace, into a snare of the devil.

Most of us will have some kind of authority at some point in our life. Whether our authority is in the home, at work, or the church, God asks us to be faithful in the use and exercise of all authority – faithful to Him.


In our human way of seeing things, “authority” means we want to exercise power over someone else. Leadership is never about personal gain, but only about who we are in relationship to God. Everything about how we live our personal lives affects how we are able to lead others.

Our way is never God’s way (see Isaiah 55:8-11). In fact, when Jesus’ disciples started arguing about which of them would be the greatest in His kingdom, Jesus told them what authority looks like in His kingdom. He said the person who wants to be the greatest must be the servant of all (Luke 22:24-30). The one who wishes to lead must do so by being a servant to those they wish to lead.

Certainly this does not look like most authority exercised around us, and many would say it will never work. But I challenge you to try it sometime: when you are a leader somewhere, put yourself in the position of being the one who meets the needs of those you are leading. Watch what happens to your suggestions of how you wish something to be done as you first do everything you can to make them comfortable.

Jesus led in this by His example, when in Matthew 20:28 He said even He, the promised Messiah, did not come to be served but to serve mankind as He became the ransom for our sin. There is no greater service anyone can ever give than to take the death penalty for a convicted criminal and die in their place. This is exactly what Jesus did for us on the cross, and He asks no less of us – to do for others as He has done for us.

*What was the last thing Jesus did with His disciples before He was crucified? (See John 13:1-20) In what area(s) of your life is God giving you opportunities to be a servant-leader? What changes does God desire to make in your leadership style so HE is honored and glorified? What will you do about this?