Church is Messy: 1 Timothy 4

Church is Messy

In this episode, Pastors Rick Henderson and Svea Merry discuss 1 Timothy 4 and the issues of church leadership, reliance on the Spirit vs our conscience, understanding spiritual growth, and primary and second issues of Christianity.

• 00:27 Intro - Recap of the series, intro to 1 Timothy 4, and transitioning from 1 Timothy 3
• 01:28 If people watch us progress in our faith, relationships, or leadership, they will see us changing from one way to another.
• 03:26 1 Timothy 3 has qualifications for church leaders, but how do we handle growth while balancing minimum requirements for leadership?
• 08:31 If no one is perfect and every leader is still progressing, like Timothy, then how can we determine when someone is ready to lead?
• 10:57 Some studies show that, statistically, men apply for jobs that they expect to grow into, while women often don't apply if they don't meet every single qualifications.
• 17:26 Timothy was called to leadership and empowered by the Spirit, not his own qualifications. Similarly, we should rely on God to support us in all we do as we invest ourselves.
• 21:50 Discussion of the difference between our conscience and the Spirit, and the role of Scripture, prayer, and community in these things.
• 25:20 We have some older code in us that doesn't check out. Ref. Start Wars: Return of the Jedi scene. How do we recognize and deal with old code in us?
• 29:36 Q&A time: answering listeners' questions: 1 Corinthians 11, female head coverings, avoiding instruments, etc.
• 30:44 What are the differences between Orthodoxy and salvation? What about primary issues or secondary issues? And, Rick refers to a clip from Alistair Begg on "The Man on the Middle Cross"
• 35:57 Discussion of the desire for certainty instead of clarity and the problems it can cause.
• 40:54 Ending with prayer that God will make us more like Jesus as our church addresses these topics in 1 Timothy.