Well, we're back and we're in First Timothy, Chapter.

Well, we're back and we're in the matter of elders, their leadership, their support, their selection.

And we're discussing the matter of elders, their leadership, their support, their selection.

And so let's read Chapter 5, verse 17.

The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work

hard at preaching and teaching. Let's go to the Lord.

Father, thank you for your word and I pray dear God that you would guide us,

that you would speak through us, that oh God that your word would have force.

Oh God let us do nothing to hinder that.

Please help these men, Help those who are listening that they might be

effective, pleasing servants of Christ Most High. In Jesus Jesus name. Amen.

Now we were talking about elders and about their leadership and we in our last our last lesson we came to the conclusion

that there were certain things that the elder had to be and do in order for any of this to work

in order for there to be a proper leadership. And the first one we looked at was he has to meet the non-negotiable character qualifications

that are laid out in scripture in Titus 1 and in 1st Timothy 3.

I cannot emphasize this enough. It's amazing to me that in seminary training those things

are rarely touched on. It's amazing to me that prior to ordination a man is not required to spend a great amount of time studying each one of those qualifications.

Isn't it amazing that we will busy ourselves with so many trivial things in preparation for

the ministry, but we will not think about the main things, and that's character.

Character.

Now a second thing is he must have a mature knowledge of the scripture

and have the fear of God so that he leads the church only according to the scriptures.

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