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“The Desire to Serve”
Categories: KBThe Desire to Serve as Elder:
One of the qualifications which need to be examined is the DESIRE the person has to be an Elder in the church. Has the person grown in his capabilities to lead the body of christ? Has he made the effort in his own life? The greek word is defined below:
— 1 Tim 3:1-15 (NASB) 3:1 b Acts 20:28; Phil 1:1 - ASPIRES, {OREGATI}, - DESIRES — {EPITHUMEO} -- [3977] ὀρέγω oregō - to extend, to stretch out; {mid} to stretch one's self out, to reach forward to, to desire earnestly, to long after, 1 Tim. 3:1; Heb. 11:16; by impl. to indulge in, be devoted to, 1 Tim. 6:10* [3713] --- [2121] ἐπιθυμέω epithumeō 16x with the gen. or acc., to set the heart upon; to desire, long for, have earnest desire, Mt. 13:17; Lk. 15:16; to lust after, Mt. 5:28; spc. to covet, Rom. 13:9 [1937] See covet; desire; lust.
One gets the idea that the man wants the job and seek after it with desire. This brings up a thought of how much does he want it and for what purpose. If one desires it to do God’s work to glorify God then he is qualified. If he does it to control the church, to bring glory to himself then he is not qualified. Note Peters words to the christian of northern Asia (Turkey), — ( 1 Peter 5:1-3) “ shepherd the flock, .. exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to God, and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; no yet as lording it over those allowed to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. see (2 Corinthians 1:24 ).
John give us an example of one who had the wrong idea about serving as an elder: 3 John v9,10 “I wrote something to the church; but Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them, does not accept what we say. 10 For this reason, if I come, I will call attention to his deeds which he does, unjustly accusing us with wicked words; and not satisfied with this, he himself does not receive the brethren, either, and he forbids those who desire to do so and puts them out of the church. Note John's words "Who Loves to BE First" -- Compare this to Pauls words in Colossian 1:18. Who is to have First Place in the church? --
