Qualifications of Elders and Deacons

1:24Well, the church is the pillar and support of truth in society. It's what Timothy goes on to say in verse 15 of chapter 3. See, the church not only provides the moral compass for society, but it also is to defend, to protect, and to proclaim the truth regarding the eternal salvation of man. It is the repository of true religion. And no other institution of man has been charged with retaining the knowledge and worship of the triune God. It is the church and solely the church that has been given that responsibility. And when the church is misled, truth is lost in society. And it is therefore very important to know who God wants to lead the church. You see, God is very concerned with the moral integrity of who leads his church. And that is what this passage is about this morning. I'm going to say on the outset of this that moral integrity is not in vogue. Raising moral standards on anybody anywhere is not at all in vogue in our society today.

2:50Moral integrity has been compromised in every sector of our society, and sadly to say, in church as well. But God cares very much about the moral integrity of those who lead the church. And there's a couple of reasons why godly character is important to God. First of all, the church is to have a godly witness outside of its walls. It is the moral compass of society. The world needs a godly witness. And inevitably, another reason, those who oppose the gospel will attack the leaders of the church. And if they can make the leaders of the church look unethical or immoral, they will destroy the witness of the church and therefore hinder the spread of the gospel.

3:44But another reason why godly character is important to God is because the church is to have godly role models within. You see, God wants all the people to be like those who lead them. And that is exactly why he cares so much about the moral integrity of his people and those who lead his people is because God wants us to become like our leaders. And our greatest leader of all is Jesus Christ himself, whose moral integrity is what we are to emulate. And so God is very concerned about who leads his church. So don't think that this passage doesn't apply to you, that it's just about Elders and deacons, and those who aspire to the office of pastor or anything like that. God wants us all to embody these, and that is why he's very concerned about leadership, that leadership embody these qualities, so that those in the church will have a living and breathing example of how they are to be like. So, if you've been praying lately, Lord, what areas of my life do I need to work on? Here is a litany, a great big litany of areas that God wants us all to be working on and growing in. Look at verse 1. It is a trustworthy statement. In other words, this is something you can be sure of. If any man aspires or longs to the office of overseer, it is a fine work that he desires to do. First of all, I think it's important to point out this little phrase: if any man. You see, church eldership is not for everyone. An essential requirement for a church leader is that he be a man, as opposed to being a woman. The indefinite pronoun is any, and it is masculine, and it agrees with the masculine form of the adjectives described in verses 2 through 6. And also, it is impossible for a woman to be a one-woman man. And it is also clear from Paul's instruction to Timothy 2:12 that women are not to be elders, pastors, and overseers of the church.

6:00And our society doesn't like that today. In fact, many in the church do not like this principle today. You see, but not respecting God's desire for leadership is an expression of alienation from him. And don't ever confuse that. If you will not receive his clear teachings on the office of leadership, it is an expression of alienation from God. And any organization or person or anything that sets aside God's standard is doomed to failure. This goes all the way back to the garden. Do not eat from this tree. Well, Lord, I think we know better, and so we're going to go beyond what you clearly have said, and we are going to govern ourselves. That is the road to doom.

6:47The word for overseer is sometimes translated as bishop, as in the King James and the ASV, or presiding officer, superintendent, or pastor. And in such passages as Acts 20, 17, 28, Titus 1, 5, and 7, the terms elders and overseers appear together to suggest that these positions are partially, if not fully, interchangeable. So, for all practical purposes, the word elder, overseer, and pastor can all refer to the same person. And what it implies is a life of maturity and godliness, maturity in life and godliness. Look back at verse 1. It is a fine work that he desires to do. It is a good and noble work. It is a beautiful work. And men are to be commended to esteem this office. Everyone in the church is to be commended who esteem this office.

7:48Just as important is that those who aspire to such office will do internal checks to gauge their fitness for us. And that is what Paul is addressing with Timothy. Paul goes on to give Timothy in verses 2 through 7 specific qualities that must characterize those who God has called to be pastors and elders of his church. Then he goes on in verses 8 through 13 to describe the qualities of deacon. But this morning we're going to look at the qualifications of an elder, knowing that they are virtually identical with the exception of the elder has to have the added quality of being able to teach, whereas the deacon has the same moral qualities as an elder, but does not have to have the gift of teaching. And where I'm going with all this is, I want you to understand God's qualifications for elders and deacons so that you will see to it that this church will be led by godly men. It is the membership's responsibility to see to it that this church or whatever church you're a part of is led by godly men.

8:57We can divide this up. Three. Major overarching qualifications that, first of all, an elder must be able to pass moral scrutiny. That's in verses 2 and 3. He must be able to lead, verses 4 and 5, and he must be able to avoid pitfalls, as 6 and 7 illuminate. So let's look at the first one. First of all, an elder must be able to pass moral scrutiny. Look at verse 2. An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, not addicted to wine or pugnacious, but gentle, peaceable, and free from the love of money. And the overarching principle in this that you need to circle in your Bibles is the word above reproach. He must be above reproach. Literally, he is not to be laid hold of. He is to be blameless. In other words, you cannot bring an accusation against him. They're not just innocent, they are so innocent that they are blameless. That is the issue here. And there is no need for a trial or an argument in this matter because this person is so blameless. That is the idea. Above reproach. And that applies to all of the characteristics that are to follow. He is to be above reproach in all of these areas that are going to be mentioned. And I don't think we quite can grasp this or understand this fully. This is very important.

10:28This key Point right here is very critical for you to understand what Paul is getting at and the goal for leadership in the church. They are to be above and beyond reproach in every category mentioned. Because in verse 7, this is the snare of the devil, is to catch them or bring reproach. Well, Paul knew this from harsh personal experience. Those who sought to destroy the gospel did so by trying to destroy Paul's reputation. Their plan was to discredit Paul on moral grounds, and in so doing, discredit the gospel he preached. An elder cannot give anyone any grounds to call into question the legitimacy of the gospel. And throughout his ministry, Paul was constantly being accused of impure motives, and yet he was able to refute his accusers because his life was above reproach. We're not talking about sinless perfection here, but we're talking about a level of spiritual maturity that is impeccable and consistent. This is what God is after in his people, or those who lead them. He must be above moral reproach. And there are the areas that Paul has in mind. In verse 2, the husband of one wife. What this means, he is to be sexually pure. Literal word order is one woman. A man, a man who is devoted to one woman. A flirtatious man will not do. Neither will a man with wondering eyes.

12:13The man must be above reproach as a one-woman type guy. He must have a reputation for upholding God's design for marriage. That's what's in view here. One woman, one man, one, one. This forbids polygamy. One woman, one man. This forbids homosexual unions. Never to be separated. This forbids divorce. And God wants this standard raised in his people. Because this is the standard that needs to be held out into society. God's design for marriage. And if the church isn't going to take it, you could be sure that society isn't going to take it. All God's people are called to honor God's design for marriage. That's not a question. Whether they're single or married, divorced, remarried, etc., etc. Whatever your background is, you are called as a follower of Christ to uphold His design for marriage. Yet it is not enough for an Overseer to just be a one-woman man. That's obvious. He needs to be a one-woman man, but he must be above reproach as such, because this is the standard that God is raising within. This is the standard that God is raising for society.

13:48And building godly marriages and strong families in the church necessitates the most blameless marriage history and reputation for sexual purity in a pastor's and elder's life. A man who has never been divorced but has been married to the same woman and faithfully devoted to her is the kind of premium example that God wants for his church. Now, this does not mean that such men are better than others, more pleasing to God, or more spiritual, or even more effective in ministry. But what it does mean is that they are best equipped to serve the unique role of pastor and elder.

14:35Verse 2, look at the word temperate. Not only is it to be a husband and one wife, but temperate. That is not given to excess. The kind of person that God calls to lead his people is to be somebody who is not given to excess, that he is self-controlled. He's not given to excess in any vice or passion, in food or drink, or in speech. He is not to be a coarse jester that is rough in his speech at the expense of others. He is not to use profanity. You see, profanity is verbal excess.

15:17See, profanity is for the less controlled or less intelligent in our society who cannot properly express themselves. But it's not for the leadership of the church. There's this trend going on where pastors are actually cursing from the pulpit. Well, know this: they're not called of God. They are not called because of their excessive verbal speech. They are not temperate. And such a man is not called by God, you can be sure. A temperate man is somebody who there is nothing about his taste or his habits that give reason to excess, or even accused of being excessive. He is not a person given to his senses. He cannot be accused of flakiness, flightiness, shallowness, rashness, or instability. He is sound and balanced in judgment, and disciplined and controlled in temperament. This is what a temperate person is to be. And these are the type of people that God calls to lead his church. Look back at verse 2. He is also to be prudent, that is, self-disciplined, thoughtful, calculated. The opposite of being prudent is to be reckless or careless, hastily going through life, always in reaction mode. And this type of person will not be able to stay above reproach. A reckless person has no place in the ministry because inevitably something is going to cause him to not be above reproach. An overseer is to be of sound mind, prudent in speech, that is, careful with his word. He is somebody who thinks through his words before they come out of his mouth. And he is to be prudent in life. That is, he is to be careful in the way he lives his life. He is somebody who is skilled in ordering his priorities. He is a person who manages himself well. A few verses, we're going to see that it's also going to be important for him to manage his family well. But this characteristic, prudent or self-discipline, is a measure of a man's ability to manage himself. And a person who cannot manage himself, you can be sure, will not be able to manage the church. It's not that complicated to understand, is it? Verse 2: look back. He's also to be respectable. And the idea there is: appropriate. He is to be respectable, of good behavior, honorable. He does that which is appropriate. And he must be an individual whose inner morality. Moral excellence is seen in outward orderly behavior. His prudence, his ability to control himself, naturally leads to appropriate behavior. Ruth is perhaps one of the best examples of this. She was a woman of excellence, a prudent, appropriate woman whose outward behavior was good and honorable.

18:24And you're seeing this is how God wants all of his people to live. He wants all of his people to have the ability to say and do that which is appropriate and that which is respectable. It glorifies him when his people are orderly and do what is right and appropriate. And this is why he calls upon respectable men to lead his people. So that you can be like the men who lead you. That is the idea.

18:55Look back. He is also to be hospitable, verse 2. That is a lover of strangers. He is to be generous to guests. The Greek word translated hospitality is made up of two words: philos, which means to love or show affection, and the word xenos, which means stranger. Put together literally means to love strangers. That is what hospitality means. And biblical hospitality is showing kindness to strangers. And it is necessary for church leaders to exhibit this quality. For at least two reasons. First of all, the Great Commission implies reaching out to strangers. And second, the Great Commission implies taking in fellow Christians, whether they are proclaiming the gospel or fleeing persecution. Both were common in Paul's day. So, either way, a love of strangers is absolutely key to fulfilling the Great Commission and why God expects the leaders of his people to embody biblical hospitality. Look back at verse 2. They're also supposed to be able to teach. That is, a skillful teacher, skillful in teaching. One who is able to teach sound doctrine, but who is also able to refute false doctrine. Let me read to you 1 Timothy 1, verses 3 through 7. As I urge you, speaking to Timothy, upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus, so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God, which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience, and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to free. Fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions. Very important, Timothy, that you be able to refute false doctrine and that you elevate men to the place of overseer as ones who can teach sound doctrine and refute false doctrine.

21:26And going on in verse 3, he is also not to be addicted to wine. That is, he is not to be a drinker, literally, one who sits long at his wine. I think it's important to understand that emphasis here is not a drunken person. That's pretty obvious. He's not saying, Timothy, don't get the town drunk and make him an overseer of the church. That's very obvious. But Paul has something a little different in mind. The emphasis is that he is not to be known as a drinker. He does not frequent bars or get involved in the scenes associated with drinking. And I'm surprised at the degree to which people will go to defend this.

22:11Even leaders in the church. Yeah, understand. The sin is not drinking a glass of wine. But listen to what Proverbs has to say about wine. This is the king's mother's words. Proverbs 31:4. It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine. Or for rulers to desire strong drink. I see that people who lead the church as, in every sense of the word, rulers, or very important, more so than the kings of the earth. And if the standard applies to kings, she goes on in verse 6 to say these: Give strong drink to him who is perishing, and wine to those whom life is bitter.

22:59This is one of the easiest areas in this whole list to be above reproach. Simply don't drink. I recognize that that is not sin if someone does take a drink. But those who lead the church are not to be those who are associated with the scenes of drinking. It's one of the easiest to be above reproach in, but it also provides an opportunity to witness. In my business, I'm out a lot with a lot of different people, and frequently wine and beer are flowing around. I don't drink. And there's really only two kinds of people that are sitting at the table that don't drink when it comes around: the recovering alcoholic or somebody with moral convictions. And the recovering alcoholic is usually over there, you can usually tell them they're either nervous about the whole situation or they're pickled red, you know, so you can tell, okay, this guy's, and you can tell very clearly that it stands out and it gives great opportunity for witness. There are very few people who refuse drink these days, unless there is a moral, godly reason. Listen to what John MacArthur has to say about this. A man who is a drinker has no place in the ministry. Now, if that doesn't scare the wine out of you, I don't know what will. At least to those of you who are aspiring for ministry. But he goes on, he is a poor example and will surely be the cause of serious sin and disaster in the lives of those who follow his example as drinkers, justifying their indulgence because of their leader. A leader must be a man whose associations are radically different from those of the world and whose example leads others to righteous conduct, not sin.

24:47Well, moving on. A man is not to be pugnacious. And that means do not be a fighter. He is not to be a fighter, a bruiser, ready with a blow, a contentious person. You know, a fighter is a person who is easily offended. He tends to be territorial, insecure, and paranoid. He is of a mind that people are readily out to get him, and when he feels threatened, he lashes out. A pugnacious person is not a type of person to lead a church for many reasons. First of all, people will sidestep sensitive issues with him because he frequently flies off the handle. Since nobody wants to deal with that, they won't even bring up. Sensitive issues. Second reason is that a church led by a fighter will either adopt a fighting spirit on a large scale or they will become like a cowering puppy whipped by its master. Either one is not healthy. A fighter of this kind is not a shepherd and is not what God calls to lead his church.

25:53We're going on in verse 3 is to be gentle, that is, kind, yielding. Contrary to being a fighter, a leader is to be gentle with people. The word describes a person who is considerate, kind, congenial, is able to get along with people. He is able to yield at appropriate times. He uses elasticity in supervising people. He is focused on people more than he is focused on tasks. He doesn't drive people too hard, yet he doesn't fail to consistently spur them on to good works. And the kind of man that God wants overseeing his church are men who can be approached with difficult topics without fear of getting in a fight. And a pugnacious person is unapproachable, but a gentle person is always approachable. And a leader is to be a reflection of Christ, in that he is to be gentle and lowly of heart. Christ's yoke is easy and his burden is light. And like Christ, The godly leader is supposed to strive with people in a gentle and kind manner as a reflection of our Lord's grace in striving with us. But going on in verse 3, he is to be peaceable. That is, he is to be not contentious.

27:16He is a calmer. Contrary to being a fighter, he does not look for reasons to be offended, but looks for reasons to be at peace. A fighter, on the other hand, lets disagreements escalate. But a peaceable person looks for ways to quiet quarrels. And having a contentious person in leadership will paralyze the ministry of the church. He will cause disunity and disharmony inside and outside the church that will greatly stifle the church's ability to effectively minister and also work with other ministry bodies.

27:58But going on, verse 3 must also be free from the love of money. That is, not covetousness. He is not to be covetous. A lover of money is typified by being stingy and grasping, not generous. He has his personal net worth rather than the souls of people on his mind. And a person who is fixated on money or the lack of it will oftentimes rationalize improper gain. And such a person. Person will readily compromise God's truth if it profits him in some monetary way. And such greed was true of the false teachers in Ephesus, as Timothy is going to have to deal with in chapter 6.

28:43A Christian leader who is infected with the love for money is ultimately going to bring the church or ministry down. So a leader of the church must be able to pass moral scrutiny, but he also must be able to lead. Look at verse 4. He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity. But if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?

29:17See, he must be one who manages his own household well. A manager of people, if we can put it this way, is a leader. Every good leader must know how to manage people. There's a difference between managers and leaders. Managers are good at tasks. Leaders are good at managing people. And Paul has in mind a leader here, someone who is skilled in managing, not merely someone who can keep his room clean. In other words, he has got somebody in mind who is skilled in managing people, not just the task of keeping his room clean. That kind of thing. A mere manager is focused on tasks. And a leader. Is focused on people. And someone who manages his household well is skilled in both.

30:08Because, right, those of you who run a household know to run a household well, one must be able to manage quite a number of tasks and also, and more importantly, be able to effectively lead people. Look back at the second part of verse 4. Keeping his children under control with all dignity. This is what managing a good household looks like. Keeping his children under control with all dignity. First, he must be able to keep his children under control. That is under subjugation. Second, he must be able to keep composure while doing so. That's the harder part. Notice the phrase, with all dignity. This means he must maintain control over his children in a dignified manner. You see, if I brought my kids in here and put them all in straitjackets and propped them up against the wall, you could say, yes, he has his children under control. Not necessarily with all dignity, but under control. Or if I carried around a great big old bottle of kids' chewable volume, and every time the kids started getting out of line, I just opened their mouth and popped one in there, and down they went for a nap. People say, why are your kids always sleep? Well, because I'm having control over them. Well, yeah, but it's not necessarily with a dignified manner. Manner.

31:32But on a serious note, those who cannot maintain a level of dignity while keeping their children under control are not called to be pastors or elders. Those whose parenting is characterized by abuse, I can assure you, are not fit for leadership in the church, and God hasn't called them, and neither should you allow such to be over you in the church. And look at verse 5. There's a plain and simple truth. But if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?

32:10A rhetorical question is being asked. The answer to that question is: those who do not know how to manage their own households will have no idea or have no ability to take care of the church of God. You see, proven experience at one level is necessary before moving on to the next level. Church is a family, bigger one. If a person cannot balance his checkbook well, guess what? We're not going to put him in charge of a bank, right? Likewise, if a person cannot take care of his own family with all dignity, that person has no place in leadership over the church. And God has not called him. That's the point to make here. God is not calling such an individual. So whatever associations or relationships you have, Don't let that become a reason to put a person over the church that cannot take care of his own household. A great indication of a person aspiring to be a pastor or an elder is his ability to lead his home.

33:21And this implies some level of maturity in his children and a fatherly time commitment to their training. My advice, my personal advice to newlyweds and to new parents, is not to rush into elder responsibilities. If a man loses any part of his family, he has lost it all, ministry and family. Men, you serve the church well by serving your family well. Don't let any activity at the church get in the way of your primary responsibility to training and bringing up your children.

34:03And ladies, it is a dignified thing to be a mother. Our society has failed to esteem it as it should. And we should, in the church, not do the same thing. You serve the church well by serving your family well. As time goes on, as you go through seasons of life, you will. Have more time to put into the church and different activities. But it is very important above all else that you manage your household well. That is your service to the church. That will pay off abundantly in years ahead. Well, first of all, he needs to be able to pass moral scrutiny. He must be able to lead, but he also must be able to avoid pitfalls. Look at verse 6. And not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. So the first pitfall is seen in verse 6, the condemnation of the devil. God condemns the devil. So the first pitfall that a leader needs to be aware of is the condemnation from God.

35:29And this pitfall is brought on by pride. The meaning of the word conceited means puffed up. And it is a passive participle, which is very interesting. It means he is becoming overwhelmed by pride. In other words, you put him in a high position, and because of this, he becomes prideful. And God opposes the proud. He will not share his glory with another. The devil was removed from his place of authority because he thought too highly. Of himself. Likewise, those who are proud will not avoid the pitfall of God's judgment upon them.

36:08And as one grows and matures in Christ and the knowledge of the scriptures and the knowledge of his own heart, he realizes there is nothing within him that he can boast about. And this humility before God is a characteristic of mature, seasoned believers. The more you get to know your heart, the more you realize there is nothing in us that commends us to God. And Paul is instructing Timothy not to place a new believer in leadership because they are more susceptible to pride than a seasoned, mature believer.

36:47And the emphasis is not just applicable to new believers. The emphasis here is upon pride. Anyone who might be susceptible to pride or exhibits pride in their life is not to be overseeing the church of God. Whether it's an excellent teacher, a great spokesman, or a new convert, or anyone susceptible to pride, pride in a pastor or elder will be brought down by God. It's just a matter of time. But there's a second pitfall in verse 7. Notice it. It's the snare of the devil. The snare of the devil. And the word for snare could also be translated as trap. The devil is all. Always looking to entrap the ministers of the gospel in a prison of disgrace. He wants to bring down the gospel by causing pastors and elders to fall into, and underline the word, reproach. Fall into reproach. It's the very thing that this whole section began with. Minister must be above reproach, because what is the devil's goal? to bring reproach upon him and so cause him to fall into his trap and debilitate the gospel ministry.

38:09An elder must be able to avoid this pitfall because it not only impacts his life, but it also impacts the life and ministry effectiveness of the church. And this is one effective way that the devil seeks to bring church ministry down. Jesus said, this gospel will be preached in all the nations. And the devil has purposed to stop it. And one of the ways he does this is by disgracing church leaders to such a degree that those outside the church will not even listen to the message being proclaimed by the church. And this is why a leader in verse 7 must have a good reputation with those outside the church.

38:52And this does not mean that those outside the church will embrace the message of the minister. In fact, they may be very antagonistic. To the message, but there needs to be something within the minister that is cause for respect and admiration, even if they disagree with the message of the minister. I've heard a lot of people criticize some of Billy Graham's ways of doing things. I have never heard anyone attack him personally. And that is where we want for our church here. We want people to maybe disagree with our message, but not discount our message because we are such poor examples of the message that we bear. That's the issue. The men that God calls to be elders and pastors of the church will have a good reputation with those outside the church. Well, it's clear from our passage this morning that life experience, moral stability, a model family life, and a reputation for genuineness and integrity are essential qualities that a man must have to effectively lead the church of God.

40:00The degradation of Jewish society in Ezekiel's time came about because good men, one by one, disappeared from the spiritual leadership of the country. In Ezekiel 22, verse 30, we read these words: I searched for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand in the gap before me for the land so that I would not destroy it. But I found no one. And one of the reasons that our society is rife with dysfunctional. Families and confused about morality in a general sense is because the professing church of our time has failed to teach the difference between right and wrong. And the reason why much of the professing church is confused about what is right and what is wrong is because they have not taken seriously God's requirements for leadership.

40:53Spiritual leadership in the church is perhaps where the spiritual battle is most intense. And I have felt this myself as we go through this process. There's a desire within each of us to waive some of God's standards because we like people or because we just want to be friends or because we want to avoid controversy. And I feel it. And this is step by step how the church begins to degrade. And this is where the spiritual battle is perhaps the most intense. And in our day going forward, I can assure you that moral qualifications or moral standards are repugnant to the society that we are living in. And some of that filters into the church in greater amounts than we realize. The philosophy of the world becomes the philosophy of how we are to govern the church. For what is right or what's wrong is dictated not by what cultural Norms are, or what we think things ought to be, but by what God's Word says.

42:08And fighting for godly leadership is the responsibility of every member of the church. And many of you are in no position to help protect the church from ungodly leadership is because you do not take church membership seriously. You see, if you will not become a member, guess what? You have no say and no ability to defend, to protect, and ensure that godly leaders are over the church. I think it's very important that you find a church, whether it's this church or another church, but you find a church where you can jump in and become in covenant with them, a membership body, and that you will do your part in defending and protecting and ensuring that only godly leadership governs his church.

43:09Let's pray. Heavenly Father, there is so much more to be said on this issue. Lord, you have given us enough today for our minds to think upon, to ponder. Lord, and as we reflect, Lord, all of these characteristics are not brought about because somebody is superior. Or has been able to please you on their own merits. But we recognize that if anybody is qualified at all, it is because of your grace. Lord, your holding hand, your mercy upon our lives, that Lord has promised that you would leave a faithful remnant in the land, that there would be a testimony of true religion in the earth, Lord, and that this is by your grace you have left the remnant. You have left those, like these many here today, who have a firm conviction to your word, who listen to the words given by your Spirit, Lord, who are open to your kingship and rulership over their lives. God, I just thank you for these people, and I thank you for your grace. Lord, I just thank you for your word. I thank you for the clarity. I thank you for the godly leaders that you've left in the land, and I thank you for a people who want godly leadership. God, cause us all to embody these characteristics in ever-increasing amounts, Lord. Work on us. Have your way in us. We ask in Jesus' name. Amen.