Complementary Old Testament Passage:
Jeremiah 23:1-8
Sermon Outline:
- The Chief Shepherd Appoints an under-shepherd
- The under-shepherd lays down his rights for the sheep
- The Universal Word of the Shepherd strengthens the churches
Family Discussion Questions:
- Who taught Timothy about the Bible?
- Who told Paul that Timothy would be a good choice for a pastor?
- When did God give the instructions for how to be a church?
- How does this passage affirm the importance of the local church in calling elders?
- What does it mean to be “well-spoken of”?
- How does this passage affirm the critical vocation of motherhood?
- Paul gives rebukes for requiring circumcision for believers. Why then in this passage is Timothy circumcised?
- How did the circumcision of Timothy actually help in the argument against the necessity of circumcision?
- When would a pastor sacrificing his rights strengthen the church?
- Why must we be careful to insist that Christ’s rule governs the church and not the preferences of those in the church (or outside)?
- What would be the goal in managing both Christian freedom and sacrificial love for the people of God?
- Paul and his team travelled to various towns to insist that the churches observe the ruling of the
- Jerusalem council. How does this passage help us understand true unity in the Universal church?
- Describe how this passage drives at focusing on both the sufficiency of Christ and the character of Christ.