Discontentment is an American epidemic. Maybe we're susceptible to that epidemic because we live in the most affluent society in the history of the human race. And discontentment is fed by the advertising industry, as it promises us time and time again that our discontentment will disappear if we just buy what they're selling.

And though, intellectually, we know those promises aren’t really true, but something deep inside our soul - the part that’s not rational - cries out, "Maybe this will make my restlessness go away or fill up my emptiness." And yet, the tragic truth of creating this kind of hunger in a population is that these things will NEVER be the solution. Because the problem goes deeper than what material things can bring to my life.

Last week, we dealt heavily with showing respect and honor to all people in the church, focusing MAINLY on the generation gap. But I hope you saw that the underlying principle Paul was trying to get across to Timothy was all about respect. It would have been difficult for some to be in Timothy's position... being a younger leader, but having the responsibility of leading those who were his elders, and who by that measure, deserved honor and respect.

It's not always easy being a leader. It's a calling and a responsibility that, at times, doesn't win you many friends.

Leadership is a unique thing. Not everyone is called into it - and there are some perks to being a leader, it's a rough road. You are called to not just be out in front (a person who leads but has no followers is just taking a walk, I've been told) - but to make sure the direction you are headed in is correct, that you are looking out for the good of your team, that you make decisions that will build up those under your care. And again, those decisions aren't always popular.

I will tell you after 35 plus years in full-time vocational church ministry that leadership in the church is just as hard as leadership on a sub...and at times, I would venture to say, is even HARDER because you are taking the lead with folks who claim to be followers of Jesus, but who oftentimes don't ACT like it. They're your brothers and sisters in Christ, not just people in your congregation. And as long as there are people in churches, there will be times when people will act like people and other people will be wounded.

So with that in mind, I think this next passage of Scripture is good for a church in general to hear. It's about HOW a church can lift up its leaders, and avoid inflicting too many wounds on those who have been called to love and to lead the Church.

There are a number of different church leadership structures that exist today. For instance, you have top-down authoritative models similar to how a business is run where you have a CEO doing the wishes of the board and stockholders. Churches with this structure keep a distinction between the “clergy” (who basically run the church) and “laity” (those who are told what to do in the church). If you know anything about Jesus’ teaching about the first being last, and the greatest becoming the servant of all, you’ll catch pretty quickly how UN-biblical this particular model is.

When we study scripture to learn about church leadership, you’ll see there is a consistent model Jesus established for us. And since the church has been called the Body of Christ, and the Bride of Christ, and since we belong to Christ, it’s probably a good idea to begin with HIS example…

When we went through the series this Summer on Exodus, I mentioned towards the beginning how the Exodus story is really OUR story. The Bible isn't filled with perfect examples of perfect people - at all. I told you that it was messy. Because life is messy at times --- at MANY times, in fact.

One of the places that those messes can happen is when one sinner comes into contact with another sinner. And the sparks fly! Relationships can be tricky - especially when those in the relationship haven't yet submitted their lives to the Lord. Then you have a situation where there are two people (like in a marriage) who both are REALLY looking out for themselves; they probably even chose their partner based on how that partner made THEM feel. And it's no wonder that things can get messy.

A lot of Paul's writing focuses on how to get along in the Body of Christ. Because apparently when people come to faith in Jesus, turns out, they are STILL people. And people, being as we have noted, can be messy. We need to know how to do this thing called church.

"I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth." - 1 Tim. 3:14b-15

Last week we saw that one of the main reasons Paul writes this letter to Timothy is that there are false teachers who have crept in among the various home churches - often claiming to come in the name of the Lord - and have introduced things that are NOT scriptural.

It's clear that this wasn't an isolated event in Ephesus. Read the 2nd and 3rd chapters of Revelation and you'll see MANY churches having to guard against, or having fallen to, the error of false teaching, heresies, that do not provide the solid foundation of the truth of the Gospel.

What I want to propose today is that heresy and false teaching aren't always wrapped up in an obvious package. In fact, the best way to deceive people with false teaching is to start with something that is true, and then begin to veer away from that truth little by little, until finally the teaching isn't just unorthodox - it's downright opposing what God has revealed to us in Scripture.

You could argue that the most dangerous false teachings isn't in blatant lies that anyone could catch, but in the misuse of Scripture. And I would bet that these false teachings we deal with today were begun by well-meaning folks who just didn't understand how to deal with Scripture the correct way.

This morning I am approaching the idea of fighting against false teaching in a unique way. Today I want to give you five ways to misuse the Word of God. If you can keep these five things in mind, then perhaps you can guard your mind and your heart from following a false gospel that doesn't have the power of God to save and to purify us from all unrighteousness.

Welcome to a new sermon series that will take us up through the Advent season in December. It's 1 Timothy - a book that is both challenging and empowering. It's a great blueprint on how God's House has been built and how it's to be maintained. We will look at LIFE and LEADERSHIP in the Church, and I know it will help sharpen our focus on what God wants of Powell Butte Christian Church.